ARE YOU MAD AT ME, GOD?

In a TV commercial for upgrading the contents of brown bag lunches for school children, a disappointed little boy examined the lunch his mother packed for him. He didn't like what he found. He whined, “Are you mad at me, Mommy?”

I take this illness personally. I can't help it. I feel as if I'm getting something distasteful. I am God's child, but I don't like what my Heavenly Father is giving me for lunch.

Since I'm a Christian, I believe God is involved in my life. So He must have designed this trial for me with my good in mind. I'm sure He isn't mad at me. It is also true that much suffering comes as a result of living in a flawed world among spiritually fallen people. Moreover, rebellious spirit beings are active on planet Earth. And some problems we even bring on ourselves. Some things are simply accidents. For others there seems to be no rational explanation; it lies in the mystery of God.

Why do we accuse God and get mad at Him at the first hint of trouble? We overlook all other causes and lay the blame directly on His doorstep. When things go well, God may be the last one to whom we give credit.

God doesn't do anything to His children from anger. I know that. If I find something in my life-lunch that doesn't suit my appetite, I'm sure He put it there for my spiritual nourishment. I wouldn't be spiritually healthy if I was the one responsible to pack my own life lunch. Nor would I be happy if God packed it daily with nothing but sweets. I wouldn't appreciate the sweets if they didn't contrast with some bitters of life.

If I could understand the reasons for my situation—the current reasons, the long-range ones, the ultimate reasons—I think I could more easily go through this trial.

Perhaps. But maybe not. Well, probably not.

If God showed me a completed, full-color and stereo “This is your life!” documentary, and I clearly knew where I'm headed and why, what would I do? If He showed me that my earthly road ahead is treacherous, I would probably dig in my heels and refuse to go on. If God lifted the veil and let me see that my future is packed with pleasure, I would be too impatient for it all to work out.

God doesn't owe me any explanation. I don't need to know, nor should I expect to understand right now where this seemingly unhappy segment I'm going through fits into His perfect plan. God's vantage point is eternal. What is happening to me right now is already past in His eternal view. I should trust God with what I don't see because of my human limitations of sight and insight.

God is not obligated to tell me what His purposes are or what part in them I should play. It pleases Him when I, as His created one, show faith and confidence in His ultimate plan. I can see only this day, this moment. It is enough for me to know that God is in control of everything.

Lord, give me the patience to trust You and hang on even if I can't find meaning in what I am going through. I don't want to mouth syrupy spiritual platitudes that haven't been worked out in the nitty-gritty of my life. Help me to be real.

(Excerpt from Leona's book HOSPITAL GOWNS DON'T HAVE POCKETS!) See below for discount price to order this book during November, and receive the bonus book with it.