Sometimes we will never receive an answer for the short and often painful question “Why God, Why?” Even theologians can’t explain away the reasons bad things happen to people. When we are faced with death, sickness, job loss or another tragic event – the human mind and body go into a tilt. Some of us climb out of the pit. Some never come out.

Meanwhile, we stuff our emotions with things. Like on the nights a bottle of wine seems to hold all the promise until the next morning. When late-night Amazon shopping is enlisted to numb the pain or buying Tiffany’s jewelry leads to guilt when the credit card statement arrives, and we still feel empty.
This all seems so disheartening, and it is. Let’s get real with each other– sometimes the pit is more profound than our faith. I want to know the grounds for anything that makes little logical sense like death and illness. But perhaps, this is where faith comes marching in.

And yet, we need to accept that sometimes we will never know the answer and reasons. In this acceptance, we find peace. God is all we have to get through trials genuinely. What’s the alternative? Drugstore wine, excessive shopping, overindulgence and wearing yoga (with little ambition for yoga) pants for five days? Nope, it does not work, trust me!

If you feel alone, your not. If you don’t have someone to lean on, go to the Bible. Look into those who were struggling and faced heartbreak. Joseph, Paul, and others were thrown into prison for years or months. David lost his child, Jesus lost John the Baptist, Jonah was furious and wanted to run away, and there are many other accounts of loss cemented in Biblical history. They probably asked, “Why God?”

James 1:2-4 2 is an excellent reminder when facing pain. “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

Christians will suffer while on earth. God provided us with others to bear the burdens — the church. “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). When we suffer, we can help others during their times of need. This also prepares a foundation when we go into future battles and ministry. We become better equipped. He “comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

We were never guaranteed to receive all the answers to our questions, no matter how grievous. If we did, maybe we couldn’t handle the truth. Our bodies will fail, our emotions will run wild, but the Word of God is medicine to the aching soul. Psalms 73: “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

Sometimes the “Why’s” will never be answered.

-Written by Corine Gatti-Santillo