“Mercy, God, Mercy! We’ve been kicked around long enough, kicked in the teeth by complacent rich men, kicked when we’re down by arrogant brutes.” Psalm 123.3,4
Stuff happens. It is not fair. There is little rhyme or reason for it. Having it once will not prevent a reoccurrence; in fact, it may actually guarantee that you do get it again. No one including God appears to have a good explanation for the events or impact on people’s lives. Stuff just happens.
The good news right now is that the big stuff hit last week. I am still struggling to get it off me, do the right thing, and move on, but the intense emotions about not being fair, unjust pain for others, and nonexistent teamwork has lost its edge. My focus is on ignoring why it happened and doing what I can to minimize the pain for others. Like most stuff that hits, I had no control over the events. I could see them coming but could not prevent the impact. I tried, but others ignored my pleas and the stuff hit all of us.
Is stuff hitting us fair? Why is God not in control? I thought God was going to protect me.
No being stuffed is not fair. Even God says so.
God is in control but it does not mean what you might think it means! God does not say or promise that he will prevent stuff from hitting anybody. He does promise to be there, never leave your side, and protect you. I am not sure what protect means, but clearly, it does not include preventing anything bad from coming our way.
So where does this leave us? Is it all right to complain? Yes! Asking God for mercy is a great thing to do. Explaining it in gory detail is fine! We are not whinging; we are being open and honest about our feelings. God appreciates the honesty, especially when we are open to honestly listening!
My advice is to stop. Listen and feel God’s mercy in response to life’s stuff!
