WHY is this HAPPENING to ME???!!

Recently, a lot of people I know have been going through extremely tough times. While at the doctor, I heard that the Nurse Practitioner I have had for 5 years (and is about to give birth to her first baby) found out her baby girl has FIVE critical heart defects and likely won't live. A dear friend of mine suffered a molar pregnancy, which is when something goes wrong with the cells during early DNA replication and the "baby" turns into a monstrous growth that can quickly turn into cancer. A friend of a friend just lost their twin pregnancy in the 2nd Trimester when her water broke (and this is now her second miscarriage). All of these different scenarios are with women who are God-fearing Christian couples.

Common responses to this are: "WHY is this happening to them? They are such an amazing couple. I can't believe it is happening to THEM!"

In 2008, when I lost my mom (and began my journey WITH Christ) I asked screamed out these same questions, "GOD WHY IS THIS HAPPENING NOW!? PLEASE DON'T TAKE MY MOM! IT'S NOT FAIR!"

The doctor who treated my friend for her molar pregnancy told her, "I don't know why this is happening to you. You're a young, healthy lovely, married couple and it seems like crackheads can pop out healthy children daily."

"IT'S NOT FAIR!!! WHY GOD??" WE SCREAM! A lot of people waver or completely lose their faith in times like these. They, like me, can't see why a fair God would do this to his beloved, saved children.

But here's the thing, readers. I have news for you. This is the SAME God who told his Son to die on the cross. His only son. As a parent, I can't imagine the heartache at knowing your child has to suffer in this way! To be persecuted for crimes he did not commit. To suffocate for hours. To have nails driven through his hands. To lose his life so that he could save YOU!

Through this, God tells us that our suffering has purpose! That is good news to me.

In a recent sermon, our Associate Pastor preached on Matthew 5:45. Although the sermon was not focused on what I'm talking about today, that verse really struck a chord with me, given these recent sufferings.

"That you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."

Wow! How powerful! God says here that he shines the sun and the rain equally on all people. All of us experience loss, pain, and suffering equally in our lives. The crackhead who had a healthy baby struggles with addiction and poverty. She's never known the love of a parent or family member to support her. That baby may become her turning point, where she can get support to get clean. Or, maybe it won't and the baby will be adopted by a family who has been waiting on her for 15 years. Only God knows.

This comfort of knowing that my suffering is rooted in some purpose, that I suffer no less or no more than any human being helps me get through these times. God really is fair, although not in the way we wish!

You may be asking why suffering even exists! Why do we HAVE to suffer at all? The short answer is "The Fall of Adam and Eve." I'll go more into that another day.

I just want you to know that telling God that your circumstances are not fair and asking "why" is normal, human behavior. Jesus who was both God and man even said on the eve of his persecution, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."  Jesus asked God, in this passage, to take away his suffering, but ultimately realized that God had a greater purpose and he would fulfill that purpose through his suffering.

So powerful! It is not easy to do this, but remember that in the very next passage God sent an angel to strengthen Jesus! Amazing! In your struggles, God will do the same. It may be a friend, or a spouse or even a whackadoodle a very random blog to give you that strength to get through those rainstorms, and feel the SUN (SON) shining on you!