May 11th

Why have You made me like this?

             You will say to me then, “Why then does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?”  But who indeed are you, a human being, to argue with God? Will what is molded say to the one who molds it, “Why have you made me like this?”  Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one object for special use and another for ordinary use?  What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience the objects of wrath that are made for destruction; and what if he has done so in order to make known the riches of his glory for the objects of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— including us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? 

Romans 9:19-24

“Why have you made me like this?”

Paul thinks that this question is out of bounds; I think it is at the very heart of our faith.  The reality is that the value of this question lies in the heart and attitude of the one who asks it.

“Why have you made me like this?

I have always been aware of my physical short comings.  On top of my stutter, I was a big, clumsy kid.  My shoe size matched my age through 13.  My body just would not do what my mind wanted it to do.  I could not finish sentences.  I would walk into walls and doors and parked cars and trip over other kids at recess.  I would break into a sweat anytime I moved at more than a leisurely walk.  All I wanted was to blend in and not be the one who awkwardly stood out so I slouched and I avoided being up front and I took up swimming. Swimming was great because my height and foot size were positives and I did not have to talk with people and I couldn’t trip over anything and it did not matter if I was sweating or not.

“Why have you made me like this?”

The question persisted as I matured and became aware of my emotional shortcomings as well.  I am a raging introvert that does not connect with people well and has a hard time making friends.  I easily forget the value of relationship when I become obsessed with the successful completion of tasks.  I am arrogant and self absorbed.  Why would God put someone like me on the earth, much less entrust a child that has special needs to me?

“Why have you made me like this?”

The question began to morph in my head as I learned more about Grace and God’s love for me.  I learned that God’s goodness dwarfed my flaws and mistakes.  I learned that failure is not the end of the audition, but an invitation into growth and relationship.  The places that have always made me insecure and ready to run to the shadows are actually the things that are the most effective in connecting with others and pointing them to Jesus.

“Why have you made me like this?” 

The question is no longer an accusation against God.  The question no longer asks how a good God could put someone so despicable upon this planet.  The question now recognizes that there is a purpose behind both my strengths and my weaknesses and seeks to understand how I can use them all in order to grow the kingdom of heaven on earth.

“Why have you made me like this?”

Your child will ask this question some day.  It may have been yesterday.  It may be today or tomorrow.  It will start off as a question that seeks some sort of reason why a good God would curse someone with disabilities.  There will likely be some self-hatred involved and recognition that other people do not have to live the same way.  Remember God’s Grace.  Remember His Goodness.  Remember that the Potter has a plan.  Our kids don’t need simple and trite answers.  They need connection and relationship with the God who can answer their questions and reveal the truth about how remarkable He has made them.

A moment to reflect:

How would you answer you child if they asked you why God made them this way?