I was working on a new blog post, minding my own business when all of a sudden my sister who lives in CA sends me an instant message, trying to reach my Mom who is visiting us for the weekend.  Apparently my Mom asked my sister to take care of her “farm” in “Farmville” for her.  My sister apparently had a pressing question that needed an immediate answer.  And as it turned out, the answer was “Delete the llamas.”

So, here I am finding myself a go-between for two virtual farmers talking about where to put the “market stand”.  It seems that a market stand is more important than llamas, at least in Farmville; at least on my mom’s farm.

I should say here that not only do I not have a farm of my own, I don’t understand the phenomenon of Farmville.  On top of that, I tend to mock those who do.  As I’m typing this blog, I keep getting interrupted by having to be the messenger of my sister’s maniacal questions and my mom’s nonsensical responses.  “Move the fence.”  “Kill the chickens.” “Put the donkey by the tractors.”  “Replant the lavendar.”

Are you kidding me?!?

There are some things we’re just not meant to understand.  But many people have a hard time accepting that.  As humans we demand answers when things don’t make sense to us.  Especially when we feel a wrong or an injustice has happened.  When the scales don’t seem to us to balance, we quickly cry “foul” and demand an explanation.  And since God is the biggest thing we can think of, we often point our finger of blame at Him, and insist that He explain Himself.

Long ago, my dad taught me that above every human being’s head is a steel bar.  Anything below the bar is our business, our responsibility, and within our grasp to act on.  Everything above the bar is God’s business, God’s responsibility, and ultimately God’s prerogative.   And so when we have a situation in life or a question that seems to not make any sense to us, we tend to try and stick our head into God’s business and put our hands into what He’s working on.  And consequently we end up with a splitting headache from banging our head into a steel bar.

Let Deutoronomy 29:29 be a guide for you when you’re faced with unanswered (or unanswerable) questions:   “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.”

On many occasions, I’ve counseled people who were frustrated, wearied, bewildered, and even angry at God because of a situation they were in where they couldn’t make sense of what was happening and why.  And I have many times directed them to this verse.  I know it’s a verse that demands trust and faith, but that is precisely what God is seeking to foster and cultivate within us through the difficulties we face.

So, the next time you are faced with a crisis and everything seems upside-down and inside-out, making no sense, trust God and His ability to handle the things that belong to Him.  And while you trust Him, you handle the things that are within your grasp to handle. 

And stay below the bar.