Why?

There was a auto accident in Kentucky. The man who drove the pickup truck had to explain why he caused the accident and why he had burn marks on his neck. I heard about this on the radio so this must be true. This guy and his wife were learning about the new shock collar they bought their dog. They wanted to know how far the signal would reach. So he puts the collar on around his neck, and tells his wife that he will drive his truck over the hill, and when he honks his horn, she is to push the button to activate a shock on the collar. So he drives his truck over the hill and hits his horn, she presses the button sending her husband into excrutiating pain. He swerves into the oncoming lane where another truck in approaching. That truck hits its horn, so the man's wife hears the horn and presses the button again causing her husband to continue to swerve. Well there was a car behind her husbands truck that then honked it's horn. Hearing the horn, the woman hits the button a third time. By this time the husband goes unconscious with his head on the horn. She hits it again.

I usually look for comedy in every situation I can. Lets face it, we live in a world where we are surrounded by brokeness and pain. It's fun to poke at someone who brings on suffering to themself like the guy with the dog collar. But what about those things that we dont bring upon ourselves?

What about the couples who try everything in their power to have a child, but arent fertile. Yet, we see so many unwanted pregnancies that lead to dysfunctional homes or worse yet, abortions. Friday, I did a funeral for a wonderful gal who lost her life after a lengthy battle with cancer. She was only 62. On Tuesday, an old friend of mine will be buried. He died on Friday of CJD. His sister died several years ago of a brain aneurysm. I question God when these things happen.

In Matthew 22:45, Jesus was on the cross and cried out My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me? At this point of the story, Jesus suffered beyond anything you and I would go through. He was called out of his mind by his family, demon-possessed by religious leaders, betrayed by a close friend, arrested, abandoned, beaten, stripped, tortured, mock,and nailed to a cross.

The one thing I have to remember that when I question God about my suffering, I have to keep in perspective of the suffering of Jesus for my sins. When we suffer, the pain is real. Let's not downplay it. When you experience death of a loved one, it hurts. When you experience broken relationships, it hurts. When you lose your job, it hurts. When you dont know where your next mortgage payment is comeing from, it hurts.

And can we knock off giving the simple answers? "The reason why your wife died is because heaven needed her more than we did." That gives no comfort at all.

"The reason why you are going through this illness because you lack faith and knowledge in the Lord." (That's a terrible theology that those jerks on TV try to pass off)

Jesus suffered great pains for you and me so that we could have eternal life. He doesnt take the time to explain the reason for our suffering. He doesnt have to. He is a Holy God who invites us into His presence, into a better way of life, into a hope that is beyond this life on this planet. He is a God that never changes. His love for you is never reduced to a fad. His passion for you cannot be reduced to a slogan. And He promises to never leave you nor forsake you.