Why Did This Happen To Me?

My good friend Chuck Gianotti maintains an excellent blog and in his latest post asks the question that often crosses our lips...why did this happen to me?

Check out his E-Meditations blog here.

Here is his latest offering:

Have you ever wondered, “What in the world is happening? How could this have happened?” Things that defy understanding or comprehension, God causing or allowing (depending on your theological perspective on the sovereignty of God) some tragic thing in your life situation or those around you. For all of us, there are times when we ask the supremely tough question, “Why?” followed by a loud silence. “Why did my life turn out this way?” “Why won’t God change me?” “Why did my child have to die?” “Why do I have to suffer this immense pain deep in my soul?” These are the most gut wrenching questions because they come from the most gut wrenching experiences of the soul. “Why …?”

Sometimes even God has no relevant, timely word to satisfy the question. In fact, He says there are some things we will just not every find out. Read what He says to the ancient people of Israel when they are ready to take their big leap of faith into the land promised them. I guess the Lord anticipates their asking the “Why …? question and considers it worth preparing them for disappointment with Him (God), discouragement with their life and dejection within themselves. He says, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.” (Deut 29:29). In other words, God says there will be times when you simply will not get an answer. He knows the answer (obviously, He’s God) but He declines to tell us why he won’t tell us. He simply will not reveal the answer.

Maybe we are incapable of understanding the answer if He gave it or from our earthly, time-bond perspective we simply don’t have the frame-work for it to make sense. Where does that leave us? God’s word to us is, rather, to focus on the things He has revealed. That is His purpose for us. To live and labor with the guidance of what He has had made known, than to be paralyzed by what we don’t know. So we simply bring the pain, discouragement, disappointment and dejection and lay it at the altar in humble submission, and leave it there. We must come to the point of accepting it as somehow fitting into God’s will and grace and mercy. It may not go away, but we leave it there with God. And we continually remind ourselves, when thoughts of the “Why …? question invade our hearts and minds, that they still at the altar. We sacrifice our desperate need for an answer before the God has deemed we have enough revealed to us to give us meaning and purpose again in life. So we turn instead to the things He has revealed. We just may discover there is hope yet.