"Why me, God?” … “Why is this happening to me?

Have you ever said those words? Maybe you’ve lost your job or are facing a health challenge and you’ve asked:“Why me? – Why this? – Why now?” Maybe you’ve heard another person say those words? Or wondered it about another person? …

“Why is this happening to him – or to her?” … “What’s going on?”

There’s another reason we sometimes ask, “Why me, God?”

It may not necessarily be a “challenge” we’re going through, but a life changing “experience” we’re being asked to walk through!

In 1988, Bill and I were living on Maui.

One day in prayer I heard that still small voice whisper: “I want you to be a Unity minister. Apply to Ministerial School.” I ignored it until it got so loud – I COULD NOT IGNORE IT!! I applied – was accepted – and before I knew it, we were moving from Maui to Missouri!! While the movers were packing us up, I remember asking:“Why me, God?” and the answer came loud and clear: “If not you, then who?” I began to realize that MY life was not about “self-gratification” … there was something much bigger “trying” to emerge!!

Helen Keller once said: “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experiences … can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved.”

It’s not what happens “to you” – it’s how you “react” to what’s happening to you that really counts. It takes staying connected to God especially when “what’s happening” is the last thing you want to be“happening”!

Shakespeare said:“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”WE are the ones who label our experiences “good” or “bad.” What if we could “see” the situation as “neutral” – neither good nor bad?

Jesus says a very interesting thing at the beginning of chapter 9 in the Gospel of John:

“Walking down the street, Jesus saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked, ‘Rabbi, who sinned: this man or his parents, causing him to be born blind?’” (John 9:1-2). The disciples are asking: “Whose fault is it? … Isit his family’s fault? – Our fault? – His fault? Why is he blind?” Jesus said: “You’re asking the wrong question.You’re looking for someone to blame. But there is NO ONE to blame. Look instead for what God can do.”(John 9:3). Jesus is saying: “Don’t ask why? Wrong question! Look to what God can do!” Look for the greater“something” that’s trying to happen!

This means learning to live from a place within your own being

Where when the most difficult thing that can happen, happens … you don’t lose your ground – you don’t lose that which sustains you. It’s called TRUST … This is FAITH – Faith 2.0 as Blaine talked about last week. It’s taking responsibility for your life knowing God is in charge and you WILL make it through whatever it is you are walking through! Because Faith is there – Trust is there – Love is there – because God is there!

Jesus says in the Gospel of John: “In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties [stuff WILL happen!]. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.” (John 16:33) Jesus is saying to us: In this life you are going to have experiences you wish weren’t happening, there are going to be things that “seem” out of your control. In this life you will have to learn how to trust – something called surrender – or you WILL lose your peace!

You can say, “This is what’s happening and I trust the process.”Do your research, do your work. Put one foot in front of the other – it’s so easy to freeze up and stay stuck, butwhen you surrender and trust the process, you grow in “spiritual” strength. When YOU choose “how” you will respond, in that lies YOUR power. Don’t look for someone to blame or make wrong! Stay centered – Walk inFaith – Surrender – Trust the process!

So what can you do when things are happening around you that you wish weren’t happening?

There’s a mantra you can say … It’s a highly “spiritual” mantra – two words. When there’s nothing you can do to change a situation, say: “OH WELL!” You can even take a deep breath with it: “Oh well … Now what? ”Not: “WHY ME, GOD?” … Just: “Oh well – now what?”

Why are we blind? … Why is this happening? The Christ within you says: “Look for what God can do in and through you!” And your job – is to “choose” a response that asks to see the situation in a “new” way, in a way where the “greatest” good that is trying to come forth – CAN come forth!! We have the ability to choose whether we will be devastated or whether we will be able to – with God’s help – to see it in a “new” way. It may mean not getting what we “think” we want, but if we stay stuck – what life wants to offer us cannot be discovered!!

In the midst of a health challenge – relationship ending – losing the job – not getting the promotion –Whatever is happening “out there” … Trust in GOD – in the G = Grand … O = Overall … D = Design. When things aren’t going well … Don’t say: “Why me, God?” Instead ask GOD to show you the “Grand Overall Design.” You may NOT understand it from where you are now – but it doesn’t mean it’s not there! If you’re so attached to your position – you may never “see” it!

There’s a verse from Jeremiah: God says: “Call to me and I will answer you. I’ll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own.” (Jeremiah 33:2-3) Call to me, God says, and I will show you great and wonderful things that you do not now know! But you must learn to:

1. Trust the process – Don’t look for someone to blame or make wrong. Understand what’s coming up for you is about YOU and that YOU can “choose” how YOU will respond.

2. Trust the Grand Overall Design – Stay open to the Presence and the Power of God working in, and through, every area of your life. Don’t be attached to your particular point of view or you’ll miss what life is offering you!

3. Trust that God’s Plan WILL be revealed to you – That your greatest Good IS coming forth. That’s called FAITH!

   
   

And consider this idea: Your life experience may not only change YOU – it may change the life of another person, especially if you’re on a journey with another person. I know my cancer diagnosis changed my husband, Bill, as I know Emily’s journey will change Blaine, and who knows who else it will change – maybe you. With a health challenge welearn how fragile and dear life is – and how precious each day is. We begin to live in a different, more vulnerable way, seeing and living through the EYES OF LOVE in a more intense way!

Why do these things have to happen? … Why me, God?So that God can do something marvelous and wonderful in your life! And in each and every experience –LOOK FOR THE BLESSING! And instead of saying “Why Me, God?” say:“OH WELL – NOW WHAT?!”And then step out in FAITH with a heart FULL of LOVE!

“I have the power to create heaven wherever I am.”