THE WHY QUESTION
By Anna Smith
“So why have you moved to South Africa?”
It’s a simple question and still the most common one I am asked after 4 months of us living here. It usually comes right after :
“Where are you from?” and
“Do you have relatives here?”
You see the assumption is that when you come from a country as beautiful and as politically stable as New Zealand why would you want to be anywhere else? Unless of course you have family here to be close to.
Which we don’t. We have left all our wonderful family and friends back home. This makes us a bit of a mystery to most here.
And for the kiwis, their why questions are more along the lines of:
“Why would you move to a country that has over 60 different types of snakes?” or “Why move somewhere that is in the top 20 for the highest murder rate in the world?”
So here’s the truth of it. We didn’t’ come to be missionaries although I am a firm believer that all Christians are essentially missionaries wherever you live.
We came because my husband was offered an exciting job as a software architect for a start up company. He is basically the translator between the business suits and the I.T geeks. He can speak both languages, which makes him not only my spunk of a hunk but a sought after asset.
We came because we like the idea of our kids experiencing living in another country for a while. We liked the idea of a family adventure and seeing some of the world.
And too be honest, we came because it all just fell into place. There was no big spiritual epiphany or calling. We weren’t disgruntled with New Zealand. From the first mention of moving we just knew that if it was meant to be, if it was truly God’s plan, then things would fall into place. If not doors would close and we would know.
And what do ya know but the doors just kept opening for us, one after the other. I barely had time to pray over one issue before the door was flung wide open and we ran to the next one. Jobs, schools, housing, finances, tenants for our NZ house. It all just fell into place.
So here we are. 4 months in. Loving it.
I still don’t really know what God’s purpose for us being here is, but I do know that IT IS God’s purpose for us being here.
You see, over the years I am learning that I often won’t know the why until I look back in hindsight. That sometimes it’s all about trusting in who God is and continuing to walk along side him without knowing the direction but trusting in his leading. There is a huge peace in that.
So I was kind of shocked after knowing this lesson that I had to relearn it all over again the other weekend.
My heart had been heavy for what was happening in Iraq. I felt so helpless watching it all from my laptop and I found myself questioning God’s purpose in it all.
“Why God? Why are you allowing this? Don’t you think it’s time to step in? Send some manna from heaven or water gushing from a rock for those stuck on the mountain tops fleeing for their lives?”
We were huddled into small groups at church and it sounded like I was praying. Heck I was sobbing so much over this crisis that the ball of tissue in my hand was now doing nothing but smearing the wetness across my face.
But I wasn’t really praying, I was emotional, yes. But I was actually telling God how I thought he should be doing his job. As if he didn’t have a plan. As if this was all out of his hands and he was up there looking down helpless with tears in his eyes like the rest of us, waiting for me to point out to him where he should help.
It’s laughable right? Me, telling the creator of the world what to do. I heard myself and felt foolish. He is the perfect father and you don’t need to tell a perfect father how to look after his children.
I was reminded again that my job was not to battle with the why but to rest in the knowledge that God is in control no matter how awful it looks on Youtube.
There is nowhere we can be in this big, big world that is out of his reach. We may not get it, we may not like it a lot of the time, but He’s got it sorted.
Romans 8:28 tells us: And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.(NASB)
It is such an over quoted verse but one that holds so much truth. Our job is not to ask the why’sbut to concentrate our efforts on walking beside God. Seeking first HIS kingdom and HIS righteous. If we are doing that, then we are in the right place and one day we will know the answers to the why’s but until then we are offered the peace that comes with knowing HE knows and trusting that HE has it sorted.
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