It's OK to Ask "WHY?"

All of my life I have been under the impression that we "do not question God".  But today I realized that my mindset about this was wrong.  Even Jesus himself asked “why?” when he was suffering on the cross. (Matthew 27:46) 

As I lay in my bed this morning, pouring my heart out in anguish to God and shedding every tear my body could produce, I did the unthinkable:  I asked Him “WHY?”.  “Why did my friend, who loved her family so much and was such a sweet, wonderful person, have to die? Her children need her!  There are mothers out there who abuse their children (that they never wanted in the first place) and they get to live. Please, Lord, help me wrap my brain around this.  I just don’t understand WHY.”

And guess what?  He didn’t get mad at me. He didn’t strike me down.  He answered me…in a way that I could totally understand and relate to through my relationship with my children.  He reminded me that He is my father.  He loves me just like I love my children and He parents me like I would parent my children.   

Then I began to contemplate and understand the comparison…Sometimes my children are going to ask me “why?” when I make a decision that they don’t like or understand.  Most of the time I can give them an answer, but sometimes I just have to say, “Because I said so.”  They may be upset at first, but they eventually get passed it because they trust me.  They know that I love them and they know that I would do anything for them.  They know that I have their best interests at heart, even if they can’t see it.    And when I say, “Because I said so”, they can move on and accept that I know what is best.  In the long run, they may even look back and understand why I made that decision at the time.

There was my answer.  “Because I said so.”  It may not have been the answer I was looking for, but I can accept that answer because I understand how very much He loves me and that He would do anything for me.  I know that He always has my best interests at heart, even if I can’t see it.  I can get up and move forward with the understanding that He knows what is best. 

What a blessed assurance to know that it is OK to ask my Heavenly Father “why?” and believe that He will lovingly answer and give me peace.  And you know what?  He will do the same for all of you.  Jesus said this right before he returned to Heaven, “But the Advocate (the Comforter), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”    John 14:26-27 NIV

This side of Heaven, we may never know the answers to all of the why’s…but we can know the One that holds all of the answers.  

 “Pain, tragedy and death will come. But joy, comfort, love and peace have already won.  So many things in this world, we just can’t comprehend. But our Father always knows what’s best, so we have to trust in Him.”  (from the song, It’s OK to Ask Why)