Why Me Lord
My Mom LOVED Kris Kristofferson, and her favorite song by him was "Why Me?"*
She played it all the time and even displayed the words on a piece of art in her bedroom.
My Mom suffered through a lot in life, so it made sense to me when I heard her scream-singing, "WHY ME, LORD?" (if you haven't tried scream-singing, you should. It's very therapeutic).
When I heard the words blasting, "Why Me, Lord? What did I ever do to deserve......?" I assumed those were cries of sorrow and anger at God for all the pain and strife the singer was experiencing.
We've all had those "Why Me, Lord?" moments and can relate to that cry of anguish.
You know, those times when the hits keep coming as you bounce from one tragic drama to the next.
As you get up only to get knocked down again, the words "WHY ME LORD?" seem like a pretty appropriate thing to scream.
Imagine my surprise when, just a few years back, I read the actual lyrics.
The singer wasn't having a pity party or shaking his fist at God in anguish as I had assumed.
"Why Me?" expressed a grateful confusion about why or how God could ever love a sinner like him.
The writer of those lyrics knew who he was without God and that, left to his own devices, he would waste his life away.
He knew he didn't deserve the kindness God showed Him or the love Jesus gave.
The writer also acknowledged that he was doing all the taking, so he wanted to repay God by using the experiences he endured to help others.
He was humbled and grateful, knowing his soul was in God's hands.
Dang...
Knowing that someone like my Mom, who suffered so much, could be on their knees thanking God is beautiful, inspiring, and a bit convicting.
I know you have been going through a lot lately, and it feels like the storms keep coming.
You have been praying and asking God to save you and stop all the madness.
You've even sent emails with read receipts, so you know God is getting your requests.
Anger, frustration, and doubt fill your mind, which is understandable.
Maybe it's time to shift gears and try something different.
Perhaps our request-filled prayers could shift to humble gratitude and trust-filled expressions of love.
Amidst the suffering, we can thank God for loving us just as we are.
As we go through the valley, we can thank God for never leaving and standing by us, even when we don't see or feel Him.
In the uncertainty, we can trust God's kindness, knowing He will make a way of light in the darkness.
When the storms pass, we can find purpose and use what we have learned by turning our heads and hearts to others, showing them the same love and kindness given so undeservedly to us.
We are so very blessed when you think about it.
No matter who we are, what we've done, or what's happening, God loves us always and forever.
Why us?
Because God is God, and that's what He does.
His love for us is unconditional, unwavering, and undeserving.
Our souls are in His hands.
What a relief.
1 John 4:16
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.
1 Peter 4:8
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
Ephesians 2:8
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
John 3: 16-17
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
*Kristofferson, K. (1973). Why Me? [Recorded by Kris Kristofferson]. On Jesus Was a Capricorn. Monument Records.