'I Could Only Ask God Why'

As I looked behind me, the shining years rolled by
And ahead, all was empty; I could only ask God, "Why?"

These are part of the lyrics I wrote for a song in Storm in a Teacup. I think the question we most commonly ask when bad things happen is, "Why?" Not how, who or even when. Why. There is something in our chemistry that makes us discontent with accepting things as they are without knowing why they must be. And when those things are causing us pain, all the more we're inclined to look up at where we imagine to be the only place God can be found, and scream our question at the Almighty.

These days, burning bushes and columns of fire just don't happen anymore. At least, not that I know of. And we never get an answer that will satisfy us; instead, only the answer he wants us to hear.

Thank God for his patience, or else I believe all of us question-screaming types would have been fried to a crisp by a lightning bolt by now.

I don't think I can change myself to the extent that I can stop asking "why?". There are just too many things going on that make me wonder. But I can and, for the sake of my sanity and a good night's sleep, must teach myself to be content with the only answer that my limited human mind can tolerate for now:

"Because."