Have you ever looked into the night sky and asked questions? Better yet – did you get any answers?
I bet not.
Many times I’ve looked at the stars and wondered many things. I have wished my husband could just send a message. I’ve wished God could give me some sort of explanation.
But there was nothing but silence.
It seems to be a common theme with those who have experienced loss. We all have questions. And it doesn’t matter if our loss was sudden or dragged out with some awful thing like cancer.
The number one question is usually – – – – WHY…………
Why did they have to die? Why did they die so young? Why couldn’t the doctors find the tumors earlier? Why wasn’t there time to say good bye? Why was there such pain and suffering? Why am I left alone?
So many whys………………
When I first asked my Whys, I would eventually get so exhausted that I gave up. As time went on and I gained strength, the Whys continued, but the direction changed. I went to the Source – the only place I felt I could find an answer. I went to God and His word.
There is a lot of suffering in the bible. Men and women lost people they loved to illness, war and suicide. I’m sure they asked Why too.
One man is recorded in scripture asking Why and with good reason. His name is Job. Most people have heard of him and his troubles.
His losses just would. not. stop.
He lost all his oxen and servants while they were in the field. Then fire fell from heaven killing all his sheep and the servants tending them. At the same time, enemies of Job came and stole his camels and killed those servants. He lost all his sons and daughters because a mighty wind struck the house where they were gathered and it collapsed.
But it didn’t end there.
He had lost possessions and his whole family except his wife. But there was more to lose. He lost his health. All of a sudden terrible boils appeared all over his body. They were everywhere from the top of his head to the bottoms of his feet. They were terribly painful. He tried to relieve the suffering by scraping himself with a piece of pottery while sitting among the ashes. I can’t imagine how awful that was! Job knew sadness upon sadness as well as physical pain. He was suffering and I’m sure asking Why.
To make matters worse, his wife turned her back on God and gave Job some terrible advice. She said, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!”
Thankfully Job did not go along with her suggestion. He knew she was being foolish.
Still, Job was stuck in this situation for a long time. He had some friends who tried to figure out the cause of Job’s hurting, but they were no help.
Job asks Why. He cries out to God. He feels forgotten.
In our deep grief. . . .in our loss that has devastated our world, we can feel forgotten too. It’s a natural way to feel. The good news is, God is big enough to handle our deep emotions and our begging question – Why?
I like this story of Job because though it’s a heart wrenching story, it has a fantastic ending. By the way – go read the great ending – it’s Job 42: 10-17. The last chapters of Job show us something about wanting answers to unanswerable questions.
God does answer Job after he has poured his heart out completely. It is in God’s answer and Job’s response that I find help for my Whys.
God clearly shows who He is and His authority. Job gets it. He realizes that he was asking for answers he could never understand. He saw that God in His sovereignty, His ultimate power and majesty, was too wonderful and amazing for a mere human to comprehend.
I wish I was the one who had come up with this, but it’s actually a statement I heard from the popular Christian singer, Danny Gokey. He said, “God doesn’t answer Job’s questions, He gives him perspective.”
That’s so rich. And it resonates with me.
Do I still ask Why? Yes ! It’s ok to ask our Whys. God is there to listen and comfort. He knows we see this in an earthly and personal way. But now I can open my hand and let my tears flow. God has a totally different perspective. All I see is right here. God sees everything – past, present and future. So I trust Him.
Friend, I know it’s not easy to do. You won’t suddenly be ok with your Whys. You will continue to have questions. But over time, perhaps knowing God has the only perfect perspective, you can open your hand as you cry saying, “OK God, I don’t like it and I don’t understand, but I trust You.”
May we all find peace as we bring God our Whys, then move forward with trust.
Peace & Blessings to us all…………………………………….