Do you ever wonder, why? You tell a person there’s 400 billion stars and he’ll believe you, but tell him a bench has wet paint and he has to touch it? Why?
Why doesn’t glue stick to the inside of the bottle?
If man evolved from monkeys and apes, why do we still have monkeys and apes?
Why are there five syllables in the word monosyllabic?
Why don’t sheep shrink when it rains?
When two airplanes almost collide, why do they call it a “near miss” sounds like a “near hit” to me?
Speaking of airplanes, if the black box flight recorder is never damaged during a plane crash, why isn’t the whole airplane made of that stuff? Why? Probably the most asked question in the English language. It has been noted that a child can ask 14 whys in 4 minutes.
In the gospel of John, when Jesus’ disciples encounter the man born blind, they asked, “Why was this man born blind?” Jesus in a masterful way doesn’t directly answer their question, but He turns their why question into a how. “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him” (see John 9:1-3).
It is fine to ask why. God hears those prayers. Asking why helps us process our hurt and brokenness. It can move us to greater trust in our Savior.
But somewhere in that process God wants to turn our why into how. How might God use this trying time to fulfill His purposes? How might God use that pain to serve the Christian community? How might God use this struggle to bring me into a deeper relationship with Him? How might God use this mess to show off His power? How might my story fit into the greater story of God’s plan of Redemption?
Laura Story put it this way, “The myth is that contentment begins with understanding why. The truth is contentment begins with asking how God might use this for His glory.”
There are many matters we don’t understand. I find myself asking why again and again. There is really nothing wrong with that. Yet I also know how draining it can be. I know that it can overwhelm my heart so that my preoccupation is on the things that are out of my control. It can become very unproductive. I really don’t need to understand why before I make myself available for His work through me. I don’t need to have it all figured out before serving Him.
His purposes are so much bigger than ours and someday we will see it in totality. Someday it will all make sense. For the time being, get involved. For now, jump in fully doing the will of God. Trust Him with the whys and find excitement in how God might use your situation to bring glory to Him.
Blessings to you, church!
Pastor Brian
Looking Forward
Sermon Direction
One Person’s Dream, Everyone Else’s Nightmare
Daniel 2:1-18
Link to This Sunday Worship Service
Service Change
We are now offering two services. The 9 am service, masks will be required to be worn for the entire worship service. The 10:45 am service will continue as is and you may choose to remove masks once you are seated. Masks must be worn while entering and leaving the building as well as during fellowship time.
We will continue to livestream at 10:45 am.
We are doing this on a temporary basis to be considerate and loving of those who would like to attend but prefer stricter guidelines around masks.
Save the Date
Business Meeting
Our next business meet will be Thursday March 25th at 7pm with a prayer time at 6:30pm. Please mark this on your calendar and come out for an update on EBC happenings.
Discovery Class
Join us for 4 weeks beginning March 7th on Sunday mornings at 9am. This class is for those looking for more information about our church and those considering membership.
Office Hours Next Week
Due to next week being school vacation week, the office administrator will be out of the office next week.
You can reach Corianne via email at corianne@ebclaconia throughout the week
Prayer and Praise
If you have any prayer requests or needs, please email Corianne at: corianne@ebclaconia.com