Believe in More than Luck

I recently read two books that had so much to do with death and what happens with what we do with our lives after someone we love dies.  The first book I read was What the Night Knows by most favorite popular fiction writer, Dean Koontz.  I have loved reading Koontz since I was in high school.  When I found him, I made it my mission to read all of his books.  He's a fabulous writer, who takes just enough sci fi to make it seem like it could really happen. 

In this book, I was so entertained by the parts of the book that dealt with why, as a society it's so easy to believe in luck, in karma, in evil and so hard to believe in God.  It talked about people using God as a way to "get out" of their bad behavior by saying God forgives them, but that's not actually how it all works.  I feel like we do live in a world where people want to believe in other things, even bad things, before they want to believe in God. 

I'd like to think that what you put into something you get out of.  I put my heart and soul into my relationship with my family, I work hard to make my business successful, I have the most amazing and supportive friends, who I love and support too.  I want to believe that my life is as wonderful as it is, because I am willing to work for it.  I don't think that it's up to God whether I have a good marriage, happy children, strong friendships or a successful business. I think that is up to me.  But I do think it's important to believe and trust that there is a higher power.  I think that God is someone or something that we should believe in, especially when you truly want to make a difference and not use God as a crutch.

Which has very little to do with the book, but leads me right into the next book, The Life and Death of Charlie St. Cloud.  This was a very entertaining read.  Quick and easy and yet gives you hope and the desire to believe that life after death does not need to be angels in heaven but really can be about our loved ones still wanting to be with us and still be a visitor in our lives. 

Both books deal with death and what happens afterwards.  Charlie St. Cloud is happy and gives you hope while Dean Koontz write about the scary side of death and all that can happen with that.  Interesting to me that I read them back to back.  Funny how life works out...