Tough Questions We Struggle With

Today, let's reflect on answering those tough 'Why' questions we encounter from time to time in our lives. Here's an excellent example of someone at sixty-six years old struggling to find answers to their deep questions. A friend sent this to me.

I am sixty-six years old, and I have so many unanswered questions in my life. I still haven't found out who let the dogs out. Remember “Where's the beef?” Well, where is it? I still haven’t found out how to get to Sesame Street. Why didn’t Dorie use Google Maps to find her way home? Why do all flavors of Fruit Loops taste the same? Why are eggs packaged in a flimsy paper carton while batteries are secured in plastic that’s tough as nails? 

Consider this: Why is ‘abbreviated’ such a long word? Why is there a ‘d’ in 'fridge,' but not in refrigerator? That’s perplexed me for years. Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavoring, yet dish-washing liquid is made with real lemons? Why do they sterilize the needle before lethal injections? Why do you have to "put your two cents in," but it's only a "penny for your thoughts?" Where did that extra penny go? 

But wait, there’s more! Why did the chicken cross the road? Speaking of chickens, which came first, the chicken or the egg? That has kept me up for nights on end. And just what is Victoria’s Secret? I want to know. And why do The Alphabet Song and Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star have the same tune? And why did you try to sing those two songs in your mind? Gotcha!  

Do you think I am witty? Let me tell you a secret. I received these thoughts from a friend who stole them from her brother's girlfriend's uncle's cousin's baby doctor, who lived next door to an old classmate's mailman. Take it from me. Please keep it going and put a smile on someone's face. And for goodness' sake, don’t sweat the small stuff. Save your energy for the bigger stuff.

Did you know there is a Psalm in the Bible that offers wisdom about trying to understand things that seem to have no answers? Psalm 131 was written by David to God for Israel during those questioning times. 

"O Lord, my heart is not proud, nor are my eyes haughty; I do not involve myself in great matters or things too difficult for me. Surely, I have composed and quieted my soul; like a weaned child rests against his mother, my soul is like a weaned child within me. God's people, hope in the Lord, from this time forth and forevermore." That's excellent advice for everyone. Hope now and hope always because hope lifts us in trying times. Hope is the expectation of future good that brings with it future understanding. 

There will be times in life when nothing makes sense. Why did this happen to me? Why did a loved one die so early? Why are there so many problems in the world? Why is there so much violence? Why didn't my marriage work out? Why, Why, Why? I have a feeling we all will be asking 'why' questions long after we are sixty-six years old, don't you?

Do you see what David did in Psalm 131? After you’ve tried to make sense of it, and it doesn’t make sense no matter what you do, leave it alone. It’s a God thing. Don’t judge God or everyone else. Right now, what has happened is just beyond your earthly understanding. Don’t get proud and try to play God. Don’t get frustrated, be quiet like that weaned child. Lean into God. Don’t run from God. Run to God. Be humble enough to accept that you don’t have to understand everything right now. In some cases, there may never be an answer, so let it be. 

Lori Deschene says, “Peace is accepting today, releasing yesterday, and giving up the need to control tomorrow.” Here’s more great advice from Sarah Boyd: “Resilience is the capacity to believe that the future can be good again, even in the face of darkness or fear. It’s the capacity to choose future purpose of current pain.” That sums up our human response to those tough questions in life. 

Here’s your takeaway. Do you have an unanswered question in life? No. Then don’t worry. Do you have an unanswered question in life? Yes. Can you do something about it? Yes. Then do something about it, and don’t worry. Do you have an unanswered question in life? Yes. Can you do something about it? No. Then don’t worry. Any more questions?