WHY?!!

Why? 

I hear this word constantly from my little kids at work. As a gymnastics coach, I try to be as transparent as possible with my athletes, even my four-year-olds. Last week I made my three and 4-year-olds do stations for our floor rotation. One of them would not stay still at his station. I was losing patience by the second. I continuously asked him to do his "teeter-totters," and then he could go to the station he wanted to do. I could've easily had the three other kids switch and let him go. But I kept telling myself that this was more than a gymnastics class; he should learn how to wait his turn. So, my little dude would not budge. His little eyes filled with tears, and he kept asking, "but why?". His little voice quite literally made my heart melt. I told him that sometimes we must wait a little longer and be great listeners to go to the station we want to be at.

After my shift, I sat in my car and realized he was entirely and reasonably valid. He didn't understand why he couldn't go to the next station and had to stay at his place for a little longer. After playing this situation in my head over and over again, I have learned a whole bunch from it. Why is this a question we ask continuously? 

Why was my order wrong? 

Why did you treat me a certain way? 

Why do I look like that? 

Why God? 

Most of the time, we are still trying to figure out the answer to our why's. And that in itself is frustrating. It's sometimes impossible to "go with the flow,", especially for a four-year-old. I've realized why's don't get any easier. I still get so frustrated when I'm told no sometimes.

Our why's can cause us some great hardship and pain sometimes. We ask ourselves, why all the time? And sometimes we even ask God why? Why did this happen to me? Why did he do that? Why CAN'T I? These why's can surround us with anger, and we can lose trust in God. 

Some why's take longer to answer than others. But although those why's may take some time, there is joy in the waiting. I've repeated this repeatedly- God doesn't waste the suffering. He doesn't waste time between the why and the answer. And sometimes there is no correct answer. I didn't have an answer when my four-year-old asked me why he couldn't switch his station. He just knew he had to wait. And he knew he didn't want to wait. 

Waiting is the most challenging part of the journey. The anxiety and pressure we face through to questions we ask ourselves. We find things we didn't even know about ourselves through that journey. But there's something quite remarkable about that journey. God never leaves you on that journey. He may not have the immediate answers, but He is always working through you. God's promises are not contingent on perfection. 

"Why" never gets any easier. And I wish I could tell my babies at work that it does. But that's the beauty. God placed me in the right place to learn much more than just teaching gymnastics. 

He is preparing you for the best of the best through those why's. 

I believe in you, babe! 

Xoxo, Sam 

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."