Tell me why

I love words - you already know that - but did you also know there are some words I just don't like.

Take for instance a little three letter word that means - for what reason or purpose."

The word is WHY


After some insect bites recently I was dealing with swollen feet and blisters. It took three days and three different medical professionals before there was a diagnosis and a solution.

And I kept saying - why is this so difficult?.

I learned of an elderly woman who needed help with a pin number in a  bank and it took three different people before someone said "I'll do it for you".

And I wondered why did it take them so long to help?

In my continuing responsibility of the care of my mother sometimes the red tape to get to a solution takes forever....

I know I've sent exactly what they need - so it gets more and more difficult and I find myself asking "WHY?"

I was brought up to expect an answer -  our parents often told us that in song

"Tell me why the stars do shine; tell me why the ivy twines;
 Tell me why the ocean's blue and I will tell you just why I love you".

The answer being

"Because God made the starts to shine, Because God made the ivy twine
 Because God made the ocean blue because God made you that's why I love you"

That's all well and good...except sometimes - the whys are not that easy to accept...

The atrocities that we are being bombarded with; disappointment when a job falls through or the dreaded breakup of a relationship.  You can fill in your own blank.

And when I don't know why - do I just accept it?

In his account of "The Charge of the Light Brigade" Alfred Lord Tennyson seems to have a rather fatalistic view:

Theirs not to make reply,     Theirs not to reason why,     

Theirs but to do and die. 

Should we fall in line with that viewpoint?

Taking the positive track I would prefer to follow Gospel songster, Ira Stanphill's train of thought:  

 "We'll  talk it over in the bye and bye; We'll l talk it over, my Lord and I .I'll ask the reasons - He'll tell me why,When we talk it over in the bye".

I think that must be what John means when he says that God will wipe away our tears (Revelation 21:4a).

So I guess the true answer to the word WHY is the word WAIT.

I'm not believing I just typed the word WAIT.

If I'm not that crazy about why how do you think I feel about WAIT.

May your life be filled with enough sunshine

to make you appreciate the shadows