Why NOT?

We are reading through the book "Where is God When it Hurts?" in my CORE200 class. I enjoyed the first 2 chapters, and I am looking forward to the last 18. We discussed it in class today, and heard a lot of things. For example, what is suffering, what is the purpose? I do believe that God uses suffering and pain to help us grow, and to teach us things. Not that He is the one who INFLICTS the pain, but He can always use it. We see suffering and pain as a disadvantage. God sees suffering and pain as opportunity.

Our prof told a story about a dean at the university who had cancer. As he was dying, people kept asking him, "do you ever ask God why?" This wise man's response was, "no, I find myself asking why NOT." I love that. Why not me? Why should someone else have to go through it? Why wouldn't I have to?

There is always someone richer than us, someone with more grief than us, worse off than us. We shouldn't compare ourselves to others, no, but we should be aware of situations around us. How blind and naive people so frequently become, believing they have the lowest of all situations, that nobody has it worse than we do. How wrong we are.

My prayer today, and for everyday in the future, is that my eyes will be opened wider, and that I will see that I suffer for Christ, and for growth. Praying that I will not be so close minded as to think that I have it worse than everybody, or ANYBODY else.