Good from Horribleness
By Bonnie Bruns
By Bonnie Bruns
At this
point, dealing with Adriana’s death has not gotten “easier with time”. But I DO know what DOES make it easier. When God makes good from something so
terrible, THAT is what makes it easier.
I continually pray, “Lord, please bring good from the horribleness of
what has happened.”
Since Adriana’s death I have
gleaned much from Romans 8. Even though
I’ve read this chapter so many times before, God is continually showing me more
truths. The oft-quoted verse 28 says,
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for
good….” As the Lord reveals these good
things, I am keeping track and the list
is growing!
I want to focus on His faithfulness in bringing about good, instead of on the horribleness.
Adriana had played the violin faithfully since
the first grade, thus accumulating a lot of music over the years. As I contemplated what to do with all of it,
I thought of a friend who gives violin lessons.
We arranged to meet and as I handed her the stack of music, she knew JUST
the student to whom it could be given – a student whose family had recently
moved to the area. They had been through
a house fire and the student had lost all her violin music in the fire!
But it doesn’t end there! I also
gave my friend Adriana’s last violin with two bows enclosed inside. That very afternoon
I received an email from my friend:
“I delivered Adriana’s violin to a new student of mine…. Her violin broke
at our last lesson. It was a
hand-me-down and in bad shape. Her
family couldn’t afford a new, used, or even rent one right now. I told them to pray after our lesson last
Tuesday and I would connect with a few people who might have one they could
loan her.” She continued, “I told her
that Adriana’s violin can bless her as much as it blessed Adriana and others
when she played but when she was done playing it, or maybe decided to change to
another instrument, that I would love to have Adriana’s violin back. My intent is to allow Adriana’s violin to
bless many students over the years and that it won’t be retired or sold but
given to other children who wish to make beautiful music to the Lord; allowing
Adriana’s love for the instrument to continue for generations.”
And yet a third student was blessed through Adriana’s violin! My friend went on to tell of another student
whose family had been through a lot in the past year. She badly needed a new bow for her violin. “She loves playing violin and cried/laughed
when I brought her one of Adriana’s bows.”
My friend closed with, “God’s timing is always amazing.” And it truly is as I watch His goodness unfold.
Well, that’s the end of the
‘violin story’, but not the end of God’s goodness! As I look through Adriana’s aviation
materials, I believe it's time to make a trip to Purdue. Certainly this pile of aviation books and
accessories can be a blessing to others in the aviation department there.
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good…"
Romans 8:28