“Mommy why are doing that?” My three-year- old son asked me this when he saw me doing my happy dance. You see, I had just found out I lost five pounds in the two weeks I committed to healthier eating and more exercise and it was absolutely a win for me. So, my son caught me doing my “Hallelujah, praise the Lord,” dance. He was not too impressed, and a bit confused as to why I was dancing without music.
“I am dancing because I am happy!” I tried to explain to him once I caught my breath.
“But why are you happy?” He then asked me with a scrunched up look on his face that let me know, he was going to “why” me to death now. But then I had to think about it a second. I mean, why am I so happy? And why can’t I feel like this all the time? Why does one unkind word totally take this feeling away from me? And why does it seem like my happy has an expiration label? My son in his growth and development is only being curious about his environment, but he did help me to realize that the “why” question is something even adults ask very often. We have yet to learn how to handle all the why’s of life. But thankfully we do know someone who does.
“Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all.” Ecclesiastes 9:11
How many times have you asked why today? Whether it is because of some unexpected news you received or just the fact that your child is doing something you cannot understand, the why question is a part of everyday conversation. Most of the time when that question is asked, there is just not a good answer for it. In this very tense time we are all living in, we have seen more negative events than positive and it all has made us ask why. Why are our children dying? Why are people getting sick? Why can’t we find a good job? Why are we estranged from our families? Why are so many people heartbroken and depressed? Why are so many people angry? I know for a fact that in the last few years, I have prayed and asked God this question many times. I simply cannot understand the needless tragedy and hate for ourselves.
Just like I said earlier, I find myself having these bursts of happy feelings and just like a candle those feelings can easily be blown out with bad news or bad people giving bad news. I know I must lean on God so heavily because he is my consistent anchor in the rough seas of daily life. I have had many moments recently when I must pause and then pray just to gain better perspective on an issue that has popped up. And I have found myself questioning my sanity when it comes to family, friends, co-workers, and even strangers. All these things can make the calmest of people ask the question why.
“The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” Exodus 14:14
Just like my three- year- old, our patience for answers are very small. He will ask me a why question and if he does not get an immediate answer, he will continue to ask until I am so frustrated that I must answer. And just like the patience of a three- year- old, we will continue to ask God the same questions over and over, trying to frustrate him into giving us an answer. But, we fail to realize that most times the answer to our why questions always come in the form of silence.
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
I cannot count how many times I have had an epiphany after I have sat in a silent space without any television, music, little people running around, husband, or any other distractions. I mean when was the last time you found a space in your house, or outside in your car to just sit, pray, and listen to what God is telling you to do? Whether it is to act, or to sit quietly and wait, He always provides an answer to our why questions. Now, you can be a little better than a three- year- old, and patiently wait for an answer, right? These times are full of more questions than immediate answers, but just know there is always an answer coming. We must learn to not lean so heavily on our own understanding of things, but to seek God’s perspective first. God still wants us to come to Him with our why questions, we just must have enough faith in Him to accept the answer. God bless you and as always you got this!
Sincerely,
Terryn
MODERN FAITHERELLA 