"Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?" (Romans 8:35) I have read Romans 8:35 several times but today the way the NLT version worded the question after the first statement caught my attention. "Does it mean he no longer loves us if..." I can fill those dots after the "if" with a myriad of different scenarios. In the end, I feel like it boils down to that frustrating question--why do bad things happen? Can I go a little deeper? Why do bad things happen when you're doing your best to follow God? Have I lost His love? There's multiple scenarios, explanations, possibilities given when pastors are asked this question. There's God's sovereignty, His ultimate will, human consequences and free will to factor in the answer. The answer is never an easy or simple one. Sometimes the answ