A friend of mine recently posted on Facebook the story of how she survived a car crash. A lot of people expressed gratitude, but there was one comment that really annoyed me.
“God is merciful! He has a plan for you!”
Which, like…okay. Sure. But I cannot read that without immediately thinking, “What about all the people who do NOT walk away from a car crash? Did God not have a plan for them?”
I am sure that the person who made this comment was not insinuating that, but that’s the thing with the Internet. You say something innocuous, and it is SO easy to be misread. Or for someone to know what you mean, but still hear shades of guilt and doubt for their own experiences. That’s why my internet motto comes from Professor Moody: “Constant vigilance!”
Alternative Comments For When Someone Avoids Accidental Death
- “I’m so glad you’re alive!”
- “That’s terrifying, thank God you survived!”
- “Even though things worked out well, you must still be shaken. Is there any way I can support you right now?”
It Is Trish 
Amen, Tricia. Life is tough and precarious. The way in which Christians see good things as God’s plans and ignore the bad things (or make them a part of an even larger personal plan) fascinates me. God loves you , yes, and He has provided salvation for you, but if you either die or survive a car crash, or any other scenario, this is not an example of God’s mercy. His salvation for you is the example, not the car crash survival or death. No wonder non-Christians look at us askance.
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