How Would You React to a Tragedy?

 In my book, Where Love Once Lived, the two main characters share a traumatic breakup. They were both Christians and both active in church at the time. However, after the event, one turned closer to God and the other turned away. Why? What do you do in dire circumstances? I think most of us turn to the church for support. I often wonder what people without a close church tie do when faced with major problems.

Here is an excerpt from Chapter 1:

She'd once loved a bookmobile driver. Memories of that time with him poured in so rapidly she caught her breath. It'd been long ago, but her heart remembered. At first she thought of the love she'd felt back then, but the good memories didn't last long. She'd gone to the bookmobile as usual that last day, but nothing was to be the same again. She went to Brian with love and exciting news. She left alone. Not just without him, but alone in the world and apart from God.

Now you know a little about why I've titled this blog the Christian Bookmobile. More about that later. The thoughts quoted above are from Karen, who is now 53 and is teaching in an elementary school. A bookmobile has just pulled up in the parking lot and she is flooded with memories. Some good, some bad. Something happened thirty years ago involving a bookmobile that made her feel apart from God. However, she eventually moved closer to God. It was the bookmobile driver Brian who turned away, and when the story opens he hadn't been to church in thirty years.

When I wrote the book, I didn't plan for the two people to react so differently to the same event. Even though it is fiction, I felt I was reporting could have happened knowing these two fictional characters the way I did. Is it a male/female thing? The man turned away from the support of the church and the woman embraced the love of her church friends. The woman lived a happy life. The man's life was empty.

How about you? Have you had a major event happen in your life that tested your faith? How did you react?

Note: This is repeated from 3/31/10.