Asking the Hard Whats

My dishwasher broke today. Granted, it’s ten years old, but still. I didn’t relish washing and drying a full load first thing this morning. It put a cramp in the start of my entire day. It will put a bigger cramp in my check book.

But in the past few weeks, I’ve learned something I should have learned two years ago. I’m a slow learner and I think God knows that.

I don’t ask, “Why, God?” anymore.

Instead, I try to ask, “What God?” What do you want me to learn from this situation? What can I take away from it? What do you want me to do?

Asking why does nothing except cause me to keep spinning my wheels. The answer to why isn’t important because it won’t change a thing.

Two years ago, my husband lost his job. We packed our Jeep to the rooftop and drove to Charleston to work. All the way up I kept asking, “Why? Why us? Why did this have to happen now? Why did you take me from my home?”

The funny thing is—I still don’t have the answer. And I might never .

A couple of months ago I got an e-mail asking me to speak at a writer’s conference. I turned it down out of fear. I wondered why God would ask met o do it when I wasn’t even prepared yet.

I should have asked, “What do I need to do Lord to do this?”

Are you asking too many whys today? Why did my latest submission get rejected? Why didn’t the agent answer my last email? Why this? Why that?

Maybe instead, ask the hard What questions. What does God want you to do about that last rejection? Should you submit it someplace else? Should you have someone look it over?

What are you doing with your whys today?