It was the night of October 8, 2011, that I first looked up to Heaven and yelled: “why God?” I was 13 and had just heard the news that would shake my life up, forever. It was the night that I found out that my dad had gone home to be with the Lord. That night I questioned not only God, but I questioned whether or not I would ever feel peace again. It’s crazy how quick we are to place the blame on God when bad things happen in our lives. Because how could a loving God let something so tragic happen? Since that day there have many plenty of “Why, God?” moments in my life.

The pastor at my church reminded us today that God has us in the place where we are at. He knows where we are. He put us there. And even if our pain never goes away, Jesus is still better. He doesn’t promise us that our pain is going to go away, but what He does promise us, is that He will walk through it with us. Jesus felt weakness and tiredness. He felt anger and frustration. He wept, He grieved, He had sweat blood from great stress and anxiety. He felt everything that we feel daily. This is who we are praying to. One who knows where we are because He was there too.

I had a fruitful conversation over lunch today with one of my sweet friends, Maura. We were sharing about the seasons we were both walking through in our own lives, and let me tell you, God was there. We talked for easily almost 3 hours, and God was ever-present in that conversation like He always is. We laughed, we teared up, and Maura danced a little in her seat. I was in tears as she was sharing about what she sees God doing in my life, and how she sees Him using my story now and in the future. I wish I could regurtiate our whole conversation because it was just that good, but I firmly believe that it was all God speaking through us, and so it’s hard to even put it in my own words.

So the next time you are tempted to think “Why, God?” think about what He is trying to teach you in the moments that seem crazy hard. How is God going to use what you are going through to benefit His kingdom?

 

Taylor Kate