But I Know This.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” — Matthew 11:28–30

One of the greatest challenges to our faith is the suffering we face. Even beyond the everyday struggles are the tragedies and incomprehensible pain that some face during their lifetime. It begs the question, “Why, God? Why?”

In response to the confusion and absolute devastation that so often follows intense suffering can come a turning away from one’s faith.

A turning away from God.

I recently lost a precious and dear friend to cancer. I had the humbling privilege of sitting down with her teenage daughter, who had some very thoughtful and relatable questions about God and the “why” she was feeling. With her permission, I want to share her questions because I believe we all have the same question.

“Why, God? Why?”

The two questions she asked went hand in hand.

The first:

“Why should I pray if God already knows what is going to happen to me?”

The second:

“If I prayed for my mom to be healed, why didn’t He heal her?”

Raw. Gut-wrenching. Honest questions.

I was so proud she asked them.

Ironically enough, her sweet mama had asked those very same questions just six months earlier during one of our Bible studies.

I shared this conversation with my husband, and he quickly asked me how I handled it and what I told her.

I shared the good news, knowing that some of God’s ways are beyond our understanding. I knew my words would never be enough.

Only one Word would.

His Word.

“I have no idea why God took your mama. You are right. It makes no sense to us. Why would He save others but not her, especially when so many were praying for her healing?

Unfortunately for us, nowhere in the Bible—the place where God speaks His Word to us—does He promise that we will understand everything that happens in this life. It doesn’t tell us why tragedy happens either.

But I know this.

I know that Jesus weeps with you.

When one of His best friends, Lazarus, died, He wept. He saw the sadness of those He loved, and it made Him weep right alongside them. He knows sadness. He knows grief. And He knows yours.

I don’t know why He took your mom.

But I know this.

He promises He will never leave you or turn His back on you.

He promises that you can come to Him when you are broken and exhausted, and He will give you rest.

He promises that your mom, a follower of Christ, is with Him in paradise. And when you are with Him, you want nothing else. Nothing more. So while your mom’s earthly desire was to be with you, her heavenly joy is to simply be with Him. Because when you are with Jesus, there is nothing better.

Nothing.

But most importantly, I know that Jesus loves you, His precious girl.

The Bible says the steadfast love of the Lord never stops. Every morning His mercies are new. His love never runs out.

And I also know this.

Prayer isn’t about telling God something He doesn’t already know. It’s about being with Him. It’s where you cry. It’s where you question. It’s where you are reminded that you are not alone. It’s where the God of all comfort meets you in your pain.

The closest you will ever feel to your mama right now is when you are near Jesus in prayer.”

As I look back on our conversation, I am confident that anything that landed with her was God-breathed.

In that moment, and in all of these moments, we are called not to focus on what is not, but on what is.

I don’t have the answers.

I was never meant to.

But I have the clearest answers of all.

We are loved.

We are adored.

We are never, ever alone.

A God who is good cannot sin against us. He cannot act outside of His perfect character, even when we cannot understand His ways.

I pray that this sacred conversation between me, this grieving daughter, and her Savior comforts someone else who is asking, “Why, God? Why?”

Remember…

It’s not your job to fix it.

It’s not your job to understand it.

It is your privilege to be loved.

To be held.

To rest in His steadfast love today.

Reflection: Think of someone who is asking, “Why, God?” What do you know to be true about God’s character that could encourage them? Pray for an opportunity to simply remind them of who He is.