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Where Was God When?

To quote Jean Harris...

"I can think of nothing more unnatural, nothing that leaves God with more explaining to do, than the loss of a child."

The following stories are based on actual events. They ask the question, where was God when?

August 23, 2000

Is there a God? Can’t prove it by me when you read the story of the gas pipeline explosion that killed 11 people including 5 children.

Killed instantly were Terry Smith, 23; his son Dustin, 3; his wife’s daughter Kristen Sumler, 5; his wife’s parents, Don and Glenda Sumler, both in their 50’s; Terry’s sister Amy Smith-Heady, 18; her husband Roy Heady, 20; their daughter Kelsey, 22 months; their twin daughters Timber and Tamber, 6 months. The following day Bobby Smith, Terry’s father also passed away from the burns over 60% of his body. Terry’s wife Amanda Sumler-Smith, 25 was in critical condition with second degree burns over 20% of her body.

Here we have 12 members of one family, 3 generations enjoying a weekend of camping in the Southern New Mexico area some thirty miles outside of Carlsbad. It’s 5:20 AM, several members of the group are up and about taking in the splendor of the morning air and the pending sunrise when, for some unexplainable reason the 30” gas pipeline, 200 yards from their location and buried 8 feet under the ground erupted in flames. The ensuing explosion created a crater 86 feet long, 46 feet wide and 20 feet deep and was visible 30 miles away. The exposed and severed pipe then became the mouth of a giant blowtorch. The flames reached out and in an instant consumed the whole group that had moments before been enjoying the tranquility of the start of another day.

6 adults, 5 children dead, another adult in critical condition, Why? If there were a God, what possible reason could there be for allowing this kind of tragedy to occur? If anyone can explain it to me I’d sure like to hear from you because it is inconceivable to me that anyone, especially children deserve to be burned alive in this manner. If God is truly almighty, he should be capable of taking better care of his children.