Why God? Seriously, why? I sometimes don’t understand. This past week I heard about the death of a young Lutheran school teacher. He left behind a wife and four young children and it just made me think, Why God? As I thought about it I reflected back on other times in my life I have asked this question. A former student of mine was a soldier and was serving in Afghanistan when he was killed by a bomb. A former basketball player I coached was shot and killed by a gang member. A boy I coached in basketball camps, and who was a friend of my son Aaron, went on a mission trip just before his junior year of high school. While on the trip he was on a boat on Lake Superior when a storm came up and he was thrown overboard and drowned.

Why God?











Then this past Sunday was All Saints Day. A day where we get a chance to reflect back on all the saints who have gone on to heaven before us. As I walked into church I had this question of “Why God” on my mind. When I left I had the same question but for a different reason.

Why God? Why do you love us so much that you were willing to sacrifice your Son so we can be with you? Why God, when I am so unworthy to be called your child, do you call me just that, a redeemed Child of God? Why God, when I ask “why” are you so patient with me and love me just the same? You are our Father and we don’t always understand your ways, just as on earth children often don’t understand the ways of their parents. Unlike on earth, however, you are a perfect Father.

Today is one of those days where I just want to throw in the towel and just cry. Spending the last few days on Customer Service lines, then running into the physical store, just to run back home to get back on the phone so that I can run back to the store to straighten out a bill. A bill which customer service and the store can't even seem to agree on.....You know those days...

All I know is I am being way over charged. Yet, in all of it, all I can seem to do is take a deep breath, ask God to allow me to be patient, courteous, wise, gentle of heart and loving. Breath in His grace and then breath out His grace moment after moment when inside, all I really want to do is scream.

When my husband called a little bit ago to ask me how my day was going and I began to vent, I suddenly stopped and thought, it's no big deal. It was at that moment when perspective hit me. In the big picture this is such a minor thing. Really, if this is this biggest trouble of my day....not so bad, huh?

But in all things, God gives me an opportunity to show grace, patience and kindness even when things have me on my last nerve.

Maybe today is a big deal......a big deal when I have an opportunity to show love to others even when I don't get my own way (says the youngest of seven kids.)

#Grace