Why does God allow suffering?

Lately I’ve been challenged emotionally by what is happening in our world. I know I’m not the only one. All over the news we see our fellow brothers and sisters in anguish, families broken, lives torn apart. It makes very little sense to me. I’ve been asking God why such things have to happen. I’m reminded that while the crisis in Haiti is pressing and is making headline news, it is not the only atrocity our world is facing, has faced, or will face in the future. For all of us who have been given life on earth, we will experience severe pain in some form or another.

All over the world people are suffering, struggling, and perhaps questioning their very purpose. Looking in from the outside, it’s impossible to fully understand the extent of people’s pain. Pain can reach so deep, to such a degree that our very spirit is shaken. One ends up asking one very short, yet intensely profound question. Why?

Countless books have been dedicated to attempt to answer these questions. Prestigious authors have mastered large manuscripts focused on this very issue. For clearly it’s an immensely delicate matter that few of us have been able to ignore. Why do bad things happen to good people? Why does God allow suffering? If God is such a loving God, why did this person have to die?

I believe beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the reality of all of this lies in one unique dilemma we humans face on a daily basis. We think it’s all about ‘me.’ We’re not satisfied if things don’t go ‘our way.’

Drawing from a much lighter perspective, but relative to this idea, is the question of what is today’s purpose. Today was probably all about me. My alarm went off, but I wasn’t ready to wake up. I was tired. I was late to work. I became upset when something didn’t go right. I took something personally. I believed I should make more money. I was disappointed with my hair. I was upset when someone was driving slowly. Today, in large part, was about me. For some reason, it wasn’t too fulfilling. The world didn’t revolve around me and give me praise, when sometimes I thought it should have. Why? Because the world and the people in it, were not created to give me praise.

The world, and the people in it, have been created by the Almighty God, to give Him praise. This was His primary intention in creating the world.

‘So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.’ (Gen. 1:27) God created the soul of man in his image. He didn’t need man to make him more complete, or cure his loneliness.  He wanted to create man with the purpose that we interact with Him. Man would experience life on earth, created by God, and worship him. He may eat a piece of fruit, hand delivered by God, and praise God for its perfect taste. She may fall in love, and thank God that He provided a perfect mate.

God gave us free will. We took it and ran with it. Therefore, we live in a fallen world, where good and evil exist simultaneously. God promises that in the midst of the pain and the struggle, He is good. Despite the sin that surrounds us and the turmoil that seems to entangle us, He is still God.

Things never go the way they’re supposed to when it’s all about us. God wants to interact with us. God wants us to love Him, like He first loved us. That was His whole purpose in creating us in the first place. But what is love if it’s forced?

While I’m not in any way undermining or trying to disregard people’s pain, I’m joining those of us who may be asking similar questions. During our difficult times, perhaps all we can do is sit down and ask God what He may be trying to tell us. Each time I battle with this issue in my mind, I’m brought back to the truth that God’s way is perfect. I must remind myself that I am created in His image, to worship Him, and delight in the beauty of being in His presence.

And who on earth could ever understand some of the pain we go through? Only God. He knows. We’re here for such a short bit of time. What’s God’s purpose for you?

What’s Your Security Blanket?

 

 

When I was a little girl, I had a blanket. I took it with me to the grocery store, to the park, to school, and on vacation. Eventually the blanket got so torn up, that a part of it ripped off. My parents wanted to wean me from the blanket, so they told me I could only take my part with me everywhere I went.

 

I remember clutching onto my part like no one’s business. Most of the time I held it to my nose…to this day I’d be able to identify its smell! The world was totally unsafe without my part. My part and I had such a strong bond that if anyone thought of taking it away, boy were they in for a loud surprise.

 

Now I’m all grown up. And I think I still firmly hold onto certain “parts” that will never provide that security we’re all in need of.

 

I have a job. What if the company goes under? I have good health. What if I get in a horrific car accident? I have an apartment. What if it goes up in flames? I have friends and family. God could choose to take any of them home any day.

 

This world is scary. With our economy in question, understandably millions of people are concerned about their money, their savings, their retirement. It’s a precarious situation for most.

 

However, God never wanted us to place our trust in anything other than Him. Jesus says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”  (John 16:33)

 

Jesus didn’t say, “You might have trouble.” He didn’t say, “Those of you who have trouble.” He said, “you will have trouble.” It’s somewhat comforting, because sometimes we think we’re the only ones.

 

Let’s face it folks: life is hard! In a world where good and evil exist simultaneously, none of us is allowed to go through life without turbulence.

 

In the midst of the storms, God is steadfast. He longs to be our one true security. Unfortunately, we tend to put our faith in other things, believing that they will give us what we need. In the end, we’re all lost without Him.

 

I thought that my part kept me safe from the world. As loving parents, they eventually took my part away. They knew I would survive without my part. In fact, I’d flourish without it! And they wanted me to see how.

He Picks Us Up Again

Today while standing in the parking lot, my friend and I saw something that got me to thinking about Fatherly love…

 

We heard some commotion and turned to see a little girl speeding down the downhill on her tricycle. She was probably only three years old and had no ability to stop herself from going faster and faster. The hill was too steep! Her dad came running from behind in an effort to catch her before the unavoidable crash. He didn’t make it in time; her steering became shaky until she finally crashed and burned on the asphalt. Ouch! Within two seconds her dad was there to scoop her up in his arms and hold her tightly. Her tears came falling seconds after the initial shock, but as we watched the family walk home, we could sense the child’s security and comfort in her daddy’s loving arms.

 

What a wonderful analogy of God’s love and protection for his children. While He won’t keep us from falling, He is always right there to pick us back up and lead us to solid ground.

God’s Waiting Room

 

 

 

 

 

Hi….wait a minute.

 

 

 

 

 

 

What?

 

 

 

What are you waiting for?

 

 

Waiting.

 

Waiting.

 

Are you waiting?

 

 

 

Just wait.

 

It’s coming.

 

 

 

 

Isn’t that so annoying? Waiting for what’s next? Why do most of us get angry when waiting? Me, especially. Now because I try to keep my “verbal cool” with people at all times, I do allow myself to get a little feisty while driving, while on the phone with the T-Mobile answering service, or with the automated self check-out station at the grocery store. (It’s not like I’m hurting any feelings). If the person in the car in front of me is looking in the mirror and doesn’t notice when the light turns green, I’ve yelled, “What are you doing? You can look in the mirror when you get there, GO!” (My horn doesn’t work). And when the automated voice on the T-Mobile customer care line says, “I didn’t quite understand you, did you say, ‘text messages’, or, ‘how many minutes do I have?’”, I’ve barked into the phone, “TEXT MESSAGES!”, getting more irritated because it’s taking so long. And then it repeats, “I didn’t quite understand you…” Some phone companies know we can’t stand waiting, so they’ve provided music to keep our brains occupied in the process: “Please enjoy the music while your party is reached.” And when the self check-out scanner computer thing at the grocery store told me the other day, “Please wait. Remove the item from the bag…Please wait for attendant…Remove the item from the bag…Please wait…” Well, maybe I shouldn’t share what I told the scanner.

 

If you’re like me, then you too have trouble in the waiting game of life. Whether we’re waiting in line, waiting for a friend who’s late, or waiting for an answer to prayer, it’s challenging for us.

 

One definition of waiting reads, “to remain or stay in expectation of.” Waiting is seemingly difficult for me, because nothing is happening. All I’m doing is remaining, staying, waiting…and I feel like I’m not doing what I should be doing: accomplishing something else.

 

However, this could be no further from the truth. When we wait, we are actually given opportunities to develop our patience and build our character. When we wait, we have the choice to either accept that God is in control and pray, “Thy will be done.” Or we can try to bypass the uncomfortable waiting period and figure things out on our own. Whenever I’ve tried the latter, I’ve only dug myself a deeper hole.

 

We all know that good comes to those who wait. So while we’re just chilling out in God’s waiting room of life, why not delve a little deeper and ask Him for His perspective? He speaks to us best when we’ve allowed the world around us to calm down a little bit. He wants us to trust His timing in everything. When we surrender ourselves to God, we put our confidence in Him, knowing that he will work it out in His divine power.

 

I may not stop getting a little annoyed by those automated voices…but I’ll try to keep in mind that I could learn something new when I find myself in God’s waiting room. I certainly wouldn’t want to miss out on something I’m supposed to know!

 

 

In His waiting room, the following encouragements and promises of God are posted on the wall. You may not see them unless you choose to take notice…

Ps 27:14   Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the LORD.
Ps 33:20   Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield.
Ps 37:7   Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.
Ps 37:9   For evildoers will be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land.
Ps 37:34   Wait for the LORD, and keep His way, and He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.
Pr 20:22   Do not say, “I will repay evil”; Wait for the LORD, and He will save you.
Isa 8:17   And I will wait for the LORD who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob; I will even look eagerly for Him.
Isa 40:31   Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.

God Shouts in our Pains

 

When I was in grade school I put my teachers on a pedestal. I believed that all of them were perfect. None of them did anything wrong in their professional or personal lives. My first grade teacher was a single young lady, and I just knew she had never drunk a beer. My third grade teacher was a mom, and I just knew she never got mad at her son. My sixth grade teacher was a grandpa, and surely he never said a curse word.

 

As I became more exposed to the realities of life, I started to realize that not even my sweet teachers were perfect. At some point it came clear to me that all of us, my teachers included, were in the same boat. We were all living in a world where mistreatment, abandonment, and abuse abound. Fortunately, I grew up in a home where people could be trusted. For many, this is not the case. As we know, many grow up in homes where the idea of trust is not a part of the family’s equation. The statistics are alarming as to the amount of child abuse that occurs in our world. Too many of these children begin to display a poor self-image, have an inability to trust or love others, harbor intense anger or rage, expressed later in life in more destructive ways, and become abusive parents themselves.

 

And the question lingers in our minds: Why?

 

All of us have experienced unfair abandonment in some form or another. It’s a sickening feeling to think that a person who was once trusted, one with whom there had been a mutual agreement, could have the ability to betray. I believe that when our response to such mistreatment is vengeance, or a resolve that no one is trustworthy from here on, is the wrong response. Perhaps the trust that had once existed was improperly locked in horizontally rather than vertically. Not to excuse such betrayal brought on by others, but to propose a better way: God never intended that his children be mistreated. What he did intend was that we put our trust and hope in Him alone. He wants us to look upward and put our entire faith in Him, rather than outward and expect perfection from others. Most definitely we will be let down. It’s not like we’ve got it all together ourselves either. As long as this world goes ‘round, we will be hurt by others, and we will hurt others. Hurting people hurt people. It’s just the way it is.

 

The other day at work I spent quite a while talking to a new patient of mine. She shared with me the trauma she had been going through in the last year. I was appalled by what I was hearing. I just couldn’t believe that she was still alive and breathing strong. I thought for sure that she held resentment for what had happened to her. Instead, she told me that everything is going to be okay, that God is in control and He won’t let her down, that He never let go of His grip on her. She shared with me what her mother had taught her and her siblings growing up, that no matter how mean someone is, it was their responsibility to take care of them. These children grew up knowing that no one is perfect, but no matter who is in need, you help. This woman had little in the way of material possessions, but had much in the way of faith in God, and grace towards those around her. I then went down the hall to talk to another patient. His countenance was markedly different. He had only complaints about the nursing staff, the food, and everything else. For sure he had grown up thinking he deserved anything he wanted, and if he didn’t get it he could demand it. He lived his life believing that people could never get anything right for him. The first patient made me feel at peace, and the second took that peace away. I had a choice: I could either make an effort to live my life more like the first person, or walk away dwelling on what the second person had to say. Which story was I going to share that night when someone asked about my day? Would my focus be upward, trusting that God wanted me to learn something that day? Or would my focus be outward, concluding that people are rude and obnoxious and that will never change?

 

I love what C.S Lewis writes: “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains.” Let’s not miss out on what God wants to shout at us when we’ve been hurt or feel abandoned. In these most desperate moments, God’s love can be most profound; we simply must have a sensitive spirit to receive it. Not a spirit preoccupied with revenge, bitterness, or hostility. We simply must ask, “God, help me. Deliver me from this prison I’ve found myself in. Help me see You beyond this utter darkness.”

 

If anyone knows what’s best for us, it’s Him. He will be the One to light our path towards complete wholeness. He will be our counselor, directing us towards healing. He certainly does not want us to be a doormat, allowing such pain and abuse to continue. He will lead us to those people whom we can trust, and with whom together faith in Him can be the center. He will help us establish lasting and personal stable relationships. And He will be the one to give us the strength to forgive. We may have felt abandoned by another, but God has not and will not ever abandon us.

The Battle is the LORD’s

I think the story of David and Goliath is a fun one for children to know. At a young age, it’s pretty cool to think that a little man actually killed a scary giant with his sling shot. Speaking of sling shots, my brothers had them growing up, and because I had nothing better to do than imitate their behaviors, I also got a thrill out of aiming at innocent little birds and squirrels. My brothers always got close, even hit some head on. I, however, had a hard time getting the rock to transfer from the little rubber band thing to the air. Tragically one day, my brother killed a bird with his sling shot. After that sad moment, it was no longer fun and games for me. But that’s beside the point.

 

David’s story is an incredible testimony to what happens when we rely completely on God’s strength to get us through any particular situation. Many times I’ve said to myself and to God, “I just can’t do this.” In reality, this is exactly where God wants us. We aren’t supposed to be going to battle single handedly. The minute we try to be strong and courageous and try to fight on our own, we fail. There is a reason God made it this way. It was never about us. It is about God.

 

David had everything going against him in comparison to Goliath. David was small, Goliath was big. David had no military training, Goliath had been in wars since youth. David was a meek shepherd boy, Goliath was a mighty Philistine warrior. David’s resume was a sad blank piece of paper, and everyone knew it. But what does the Bible say David had that overpowered all these meaningless things? He had faith.

 

With such gumption and courage, and without hesitation, David volunteered himself to fight this infamous warrior. David didn’t listen to concerns from the audience that he was just a kid; he rather referred back to times when God delivered him from paws of lions and bears. He trusted that because God had delivered him once before, he would most assuredly deliver him again. David moved forward with confidence despite discouraging insults and fearful threats.

 

King Saul dressed David with his own tunic, a coat of armor, a fancy bronze helmet, and a sword. David walked around, decided the whole attire was uncomfortable, and took it all off. Who needed a king’s armor when he had the armor of the one and only King of kings? David simply gathered a few small stones and pursued on ahead directly towards Goliath. You know the rest of the story. Goliath was killed and the battle was won. David doesn’t take credit, but rather uses it as a testimony of God’s strength.  “All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s.”

 

What seemingly impossible situation are you facing today?  What has happened in your life that has caused you to feel powerless? Today, you can claim victory and power over whatever the circumstance may be. Take hold of the other times in your life when God has delivered you. He will do it again, but asks that we surrender our own pursuits. Sometimes I think I need to do things on my own. I think that I am equipped with the armor that I need, in one form or another. The truth is: I have nothing to show for myself. When I lay down my arms, so to speak, and let God do his work, I am victorious. God used what David was comfortable with: his sling shot and some stones. In the same way, he will use the familiar gifts and talents we’ve been given to work miracles through us.

 

Remember, the battle is not ours. The battle is the LORD’s.

 

 

 

Enjoying my grasses

We’re all familiar with the question, “Is the glass half empty or half full?” I’ll admit that I see situations from each perspective, depending on the day or even the hour. Sometimes I might even ask, “What glass?!”  

Likewise, too often the grass looks greener on the other side. So when I hop over to that other side, I usually wish I could be back where I was! I must work on enjoying my grass all the time, whether it needs to be watered, mowed, mulched, or whatever else happens to grass!  

Now that I think of it, it’s the same with my hair! If I cut my hair real short, I tend to enjoy it for about a couple days, and then I want long hair again! And I look at everyone with long hair and get envious of them! Goodness, I should be thankful I even have hair! 

I think I underestimate the power of my mind. When I choose to not recognize how I’ve already been blessed, I sure miss out on a lot of blessing. Certainly blessings come my way all the time, but if I choose not to notice, I’ll never feel blessed. But when I can be grateful for what God has given me, life comes so much easier.  

It’s only day two of this new year, but I sure hope I can maintain an attitude of thankfulness for the remaining 363 days. Being home has shown me what a spoiled brat I am/can be…am/can be…(feel free to make your own assessment…sorry Mom). So I am going to say that I am thankful I don’t have a job yet, because in the time I’ve had to think about such things, I’ve also been reminded of how undeserving I am of anything!  

Have you ever been around someone who is so appreciative of the small things in life? Someone who savors each and every bite of their hamburger? Someone who points out pretty flowers while they’re stopped at a red light…the light turns green and they’re still enjoying each and every color? It’s like, “uh, can you go?” Those people can be kind of annoying, can’t they? Like why can’t they complain about something for once? But ultimately, their joy is contagious, and their coping style is most effective. They keep on the sunny side of life!  

As we enter this new year, let’s stop and thank God for what He has so graciously given us. We’ll approach each new day with a brighter perspective on life. Simple, really!