Give Me a Reason

The expression that I have heard quoted in tough times is, "Everything happens for a reason." I agree 100% with that statement. Unfortunately for us, many times the reason something is happening to us is because we made a stupid choice. We are the ones who didn't think things through, didn't anticipate the results of our decisions, or we took a path regardless of the consequences. There are other times when our lives are affected by the stupid choices of others. We become their collateral damage from self-centered, poor decisions. Even in these circumstances I think we want to believe that there is an underlying reason behind it all. We want to believe that someone more powerful than us is orchestrating things around us and working through our poor decision making and apparently random life events.

I think what we are actually looking for is a spark of hope. We want to know that a good God is able to
work through all of our circumstances and lead us to something better. When we're struggling with things that are completely beyond our control and influence (economy tanking, disastrous diagnosis, unexpected death) we want to know that God is still loving and caring. We want to know that He is working all around us for our betterment. We need to grasp tightly onto the offer of a glimmer of hope when it seems all hope is gone. If we can believe that there is a greater purpose for us we are able to withstand the difficulty of the present and anticipate the future. We are hoping that at some point things will make sense because if that isn't an option we aren't sure we can keep going.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who 

love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28