Why Me?

Maybe I am the only one that ever thinks this way... but I often wondered, "Why me, Lord?" I never got a good answer, of course, but as I looked around at the other hardships that existed in the world I began to see things a little differently. I think I now suspect the best question to ask is, "Why not me?" After all, Isaiah responded to the Lord, "Here I am, Lord, send me" so... "Why not me?" is a pretty good question. It seems that there is so much unpleasantness and hardship all around us, yet somehow we often feel we should be sheltered from it all. Why does cancer hit some of the most precious people in the world? I don't think they deserve it, do you? No, of course not. No one deserves to suffer like that. No one!... and for those of you that may have lost a loved one to such a dreaded disease as this... my heart goes out to you. I, too, lost my Mom to this Dracula of diseases, and no, there is not justice in disease. Disease is evil, and evil exists in our world.

Yet, there are times when hardship and struggle works as a conduit for us to draw from the strength of the Lord, and causes us to depend on His incredible grace, which empowers us to live above our circumstances, and allows us to walk by faith in newness of life. And when we have realized the incredible joy of bearing our burdens in His strength... we are content, and full, and at peace. We know that we have met with an incredible Spiritual conncection with God, and we are truly alive.

Scripture alerts me to the fact that we are going to experience hardship. There are many verses that indicate this. Look up a few to see that the Lord told us when we suffer hardship, trials, and suffering, not if, so He was preparing us for struggles. So, had I found the answer to "Why Me?" Oddly enough I did come to a different perspective and began to think... "Why not me?" My prayers would go something like this: "If you will, Lord, take this pain from me, but if not, grant me the grace sufficient so that I might bear this pain, and if you need someone to carry this struggle, why not me? I want to live for you and bring glory to you, Lord, whatever way I can. Lord I pray your will be done. And whatever you have for me in heaven, pour it down, Lord"

I do want everything God has for me, in this life and the next. I sure do not want what I deserve, but I take great joy and pleasure in experiencing whatever He has for me. I trust Him, do you? I know that no one loves me more than He does, and whatever He wants me to go through will be for my good... so I want to go, I want to do it. He is my rock, my strength, my fortress. He will grant me every blessing possible. He is my loving Father, and surely He will provide my every need. I believe God! That is what Beth Moore so boldly proclaimed in her study, "Believing God." If you haven't gone through her study, you need to. It puts everything in perspective. The ladies that I studied with are my best buddies, and being in God's Word together is what makes "Best Buds." So that is my big recommendation for the day... Get involved in Bible Study... it is the best, and the icing on that cake is... Sharing it with some other ladies that Love the Lord also. It is the best of the best.

So the "Why Me?" question I had when I started was finally answered for me. It took some time, and it took me really thinking about my perspective. It took many things, but in the area of attitude the big thing was to get beyond my first question, and learn more about Christ and what He desires for the believer, what He desires for me,(or you) personally. In the next world there will be no more pain, no more suffering, no more disease, (hallelujah) but while we are here there will be suffering and pain. I would rather have pain with Christ than be pain-free without Him, and I would rather have a heart that wants what Christ wants than to live my life always asking... "Why Me?" Open yourself up to Him, take a deep breath... and then quietly, lovingly, open yourself to your increased confidence and faith in Him and ask, "Why NOT me?" You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by trusting Him. He won't let you bear it alone... remember He promised to be with you, that He would never leave you or forsake you... and then... live gloriously in the beauty of this amazing truth... "It's Only By His Grace"... until next time...