Visiting a friend in the hospital recently, I asked how he was coping. He said, “This isn’t what I asked for but it’s what I got.” You’ve been there, right? We find ourselves in situations we hadn’t planned or desired. The road we were traveling suddenly took a long detour through unpleasant territory. We wouldn’t have come here if we had a choice. But it’s where we are now and we’re trying to find a way back to our path. The truth is some detours lead us to a new path. And most make us wait.
This is usually when the “why” questions start. Why did this happen? Why me? Why now? Probably, you’ve asked these too. I’ve always maintained if you have questions, ask them. Bring them to God. He is big enough to handle any honest question you have even if you are upset with Him or aren’t even sure He is listening. (Guess what? He already knows this. He is just waiting for us to come to Him.)
If you search the bible on the subject you will likely find multiple answers to why bad things happen:
Some bad things happen because of our own doing. We make bad choices and bad consequences naturally follow. Some suffering happens because others make bad choices. We wonder why wouldn’t a loving God intervene and stop wrongdoing…as long as it isn’t our own.
Some bad things happen because we live in a corrupt world that suffers from the choices of man. Some happen to allow us to grow our character, learn an important life lesson, and draw closer to God. When this happens, God is honored and we benefit.
But it seems to me that the faster we move from ‘why’ to ‘what,’ ‘how’ and ‘who’, the more we will benefit during this time of suffering:
What can I learn in this situation? What does the nature and character of God tell me about this situation and what He wants to accomplish in my life and in the world around me? He is always revealing His wisdom, courage, strength and grace to those who look for it. How can I grasp this and make it part of who I am? Who around me is suffering or needs encouragement? How can I bring light to their dark situation? The first step of the journey out of suffering is to stop focusing on our situation and focus instead on God and others.
You can focus on despair or you can focus on hope. Choose hope.
“But as for me, I will always have hope.” Psalm 71:14a
Faith hope and love. Thank you Lord.
I had been thinking about you for a few weeks, and I decided to check on your blog to see where you are in your journey. Little did I know that I would be deeply blessed by God by doing so. I desperately needed this reminder today. Thanks Brian, Marcia, and especially thanks be to God for his perfect word in our times of need.
Thanks Ashley. God’s Word is always timely and potent for bringing hope and needed change. I write the blog for me and am pleased that God chooses to bless others also. Marcia and I miss you too. We need to plan a visit to Mercy to check everyone’s smiles. 🙂