When you don't understand

Do you ever have circumstances in your life that you don't understand? I know, I know, that's a silly question. We all have situations like that.

If you're like me, you find yourself trying to answer questions like these:

• Why did my child rebel when I was raising them according to God's Word? 
• Why did I get sick when I was taking good care of myself?
• Why did my husband lose the best job he's ever had?  

We like to file horrible happenings into neat little cubby holes or tidy file folders in our minds, so we can explain everything. But you and I both know that some things simply can't be categorized. Some things we will never understand.

Can we live with that? Is is okay to say, "I don't understand this, but it's not going to ruin my life or my relationship with God."

Because if we keep trying to figure it out with our limited understanding, we may get stuck in the "bitter and angry" file or the "doubt and despair" file.

Can we create a cubby hole or file folder in our hearts and label it, "Not sure why," then trust the One who gave us life and loves us to die for? Can we tuck those unanswered questions in that file and have the courage and trust to leave them there?

Someday the Lord may reveal to us why Aunt Lois died even though we prayed for her, why our spouse lost his job, or why our best friend deserted us. Or he may not.

But if we refuse to get stuck, if we choose to look to God to take care of us in spite of our unknowns, he will move us forward into the excellent plans he has for us. He will set us free from having to figure everything out. He will give us the grace we need for today.