The Tough Questions

We humm through life thinking about ourselves and not giving much thought to others. Our focus in inward instead of outward. Our focus is temporal instead of eternal. These are the thoughts in my mind today. Wondering what it means to live this life to the fullest. It seems so simple yet it's so difficult to grasp. Why am I here Lord? Why did you create us knowing we would fail? Why do you allow such horrible things to happen? What is my purpose and how are we all significant? Why do I have so many questions?

Everywhere I look I see such sorrow and heartache. The unexpected death of a loved one. The unmistakable diagnosis of cancer. The addiction to alcohol & drugs. The obsession of sex. The betrayal of trust. The loss of a job. I could go on and on listing the sorrows and troubles of this world one right after the other. How do we really deal with the tough things. Do we mask our pain by not thinking about it or by laughing about it or by covering it up with other emotions or behaviors. Do we simply convince ourselves of a new reality, telling ourselves it's not that bad, things will get better, or it could be worse, or whatever. What do we do with the pain, the fear, the uncertainties, the doubt? How do we deal with life?

These are the big questions on my mind today. It's not that I'm feeling down or depressed but I simply wonder what this life is really all about. We have all of this stuff in the world and for me it clutters my mind and confines my thoughts to one thing - ME. If I'm avalanched in then I know others are too. This makes me realize we are exactly where Satan wants us to be. Covered up by our stuff and our to-do lists and smothered by the things of this world. I'm afraid to open the door for fear it will all come crashing down. So where does that leave us and how do we find a way out?

I've been reading this great book by Charles Swindoll called, Getting Through the Tough Stuff. He addresses so many topics and struggles pertinent to today. I came across the section of Doubt. He addresses the question of is it ok to doubt and he answers that it is necessary. He states, " You must or you won't grow. You'll wind up learning someone else's answers, and in many cases they will be inadequate for your questions... if you're honest enough to ask them." He goes on to state that when something bad happens "Reality hits and a storm blows in and threatens their once tranquil existence. The emotional explosion results in more questions than answers. They discover things they didn't really know. They are in the vortex of dilemmas they cannot solve. At that point simplistic solutions are replaced with realistic reflections...and the deep things of God begin to emerge, eclipsing shallow answers."

All of this brings me right back to the cross. Right back to Jesus. Right back to the Creator. I am so thankful that God accepts me when I am struggling, when I doubt, when I am angry, when I am sad. He's already been there and He loves me anyway. He's waiting patiently for me to come to Him with all of my questions and all of my sorrows - to admit my pain, my fears, my doubts. Having faith does not mean I won't ever doubt. It means I recognize my limitations and I give it over to God. Oh, what He can do with just a mustard seed of faith!