Don't quote them: well meaning Christians in hard times

This was inspired by this, that I read a few days ago.  It's called, unfortunate things people say, especially during grief and bereavement.

That blogger mentioned when people say "God never gives you more than you can handle."  Seriously?  Are we independent workers now?  This is normally said to a family with a special needs child who is especially challenging.  Because somehow that's more burdensome than having a child without special needs (or is that possible?).  Amazingly, God is cool because he gives people more than they can handle, not because he's mean, but because he doesn't want us to live alone.  He wants us to rely on him and on the church to carry us through life.

Moving on: I heard this one yesterday when hearing about some semi truck that randomly feel apart and killed some 8-year-old.  "I guess God wanted a little angel for heaven."  Sigh.  As if God is some selfish despot in the sky who can give or take any child as he pleases.  Granted, this was a freaky accident that never happens.  And it would not have happened had God not planned it.  But people who say things like this really don't know God.  Or they don't trust him to know what he's doing.  Or they forget that we live in a world tainted with sin and bad things simply happen.  We can't blame somebody's sin and we can't not blame someone's sin.  We just understand that one day, Jesus will come to restore all things.

Last one for now.  If somebody is crying over a recent death, don't ever, ever, EVER tell them they are not supposed to cry.  EVER.  When Lazarus died, Jesus even cried and he knew he'd raise Lazarus from the dead in a few minutes.  God created a perfect world, in which death was not intended.  Then Adam and Eve sinned, and now death happens to everyone, any way, at any age.  But death is not natural.  Don't let anyone tell you death is natural.  The last enemy to be defeated will be death, and then we will live forever the way God intended for humanity to live.  We must cry over death now because it is so opposite of God's plan, and rejoice because it will be over some day.