I’m pretty sure I’m in the midst of a major life transition. Call it a mid-life crisis if you wish. I prefer to call it a mid-life awakening.
Questions accompany awakenings. Big questions. Deep questions. Important questions. Hard questions.
If we want to change course, if we want to turn our back to old ways and pursue new ways, if we want to trust that what’s ahead of us is better than what’s behind us, we must ask the big, deep, important and hard questions of life.
I’m not an advocate of excessive complaining, lamenting and questioning, but I do believe that no matter how optimistic we are, no matter how upbeat we are, no matter how faith-filled we are, no matter how great our life may be, real life still happens. It’s undeniable, right?
We wonder. We ask. We want to know.
Why? What? Where?
When? How? Who?
So I’m asking the hard questions today. Because I want to. Because I need to. Because maybe you’re asking them too. Because maybe we need sit in the questions, be humbled, and realize we’re not God. We don’t know everything. We can’t fix everything. We don’t understand everything. We’re human, after all.
So let’s get to it.
I’m asking all the hard questions.
I’m just asking…
What is the point, God?
Why is there winter?
Why is it so cold sometimes I can barely breathe?
Why do people starve to death?
Why is there such disparity between the poor and the wealthy?
Why are children the victims of sexual assault?
Why do people have to suffer with autism, dementia, Alzheimers, severe cerebral palsy, deafness, blindness, severe mental illness and the like?
Why do people lie lifeless in comas?
Why do people live lifeless lives of oblivion?
Why do young men and women pass away long before their time?
Why do babies get life-threatening diseases? Why should a baby ever suffer to the point of death? What is the point, God?
Why do we love money so much?
Why don’t we want to help each other more?
Why are we so self-centered?
Why do we fight so much?
Why do we worry about stupid, pointless things?
Why do women think so little of themselves that they prostitute themselves?
Why in the world do people think it’s okay to expose themselves repeatedly to pornography?
Why in the world do they think that is sexy?
Why are near-naked women on magazine covers so often, but not nearly as many near-naked men?
Why are marriages going down the tubes?
Why do kids say mean things to each other?
Why don’t we have more friends?
Why do we live so isolated?
Why do we think bigger is better?
Why do we clutter our homes with stuff, stuff and more stuff?
Why do elderly have to revert to wearing Depends at the end of a good, long life?
Why don’t we value the elderly more in our culture?
Why are innocent people being beheaded?
Why do people talk behind each others’ backs?
Why don’t we love each other more?
Why are we scared of other people?
Why are we scared of being intimate with others?
Why do we so desperately long for more of everything and anything?
Why is there a void?
Why?
Why are we hurting?
Why are we totally disconnected from reality?
Why do we continue to think we’ll magically discover healing and transforming words, photographs, and videos on Facebook?
Why do people overanalyze what others say on Facebook all the time?
Why do we only want to hear the good stuff, the fun stuff, the light-hearted stuff?
Why don’t we talk about hard stuff more?
Why do we blame one another for stupid stuff?
Why can’t we all just get along?
Why are we arguing about the definition of marriage?
Why has it been nearly four months since I’ve gone on a date with my husband?
Why does work have to be so stressful?
Why does unpaid work NOT count for anything in our culture?
Why do I have 10 awesome dresses in my closet and nowhere to wear them?
Why did I get coerced into buying a belt that I’ve never worn?
Why can’t we seem to dig out of our messes?
Why did my neighbors have to get divorced and move?
Why have I seemed to have lost complete touch with an old friend?
Why aren’t woman supporting each other more?
Why does helping have to hurt?
Why are there smiling faces of children living in extreme poverty on my cupboard door?
Why does life have to be so hard that a senior’s daddy can’t attend her high school graduation party?
Why do people lie in bed all day?
Why do people hide away in their houses?
Why are people afraid of everything?
Why is extroversion so highly valued in our culture?
Why can’t our kids go outside and play without us being worried all the time?
Why do the experts make us feel guilty, as if we’re doing something wrong as parents all the time?
Why are stay at home moms undervalued?
Why did the mommy wars start in the first place?
Why do we have to “do it all?”
Why do I own several table books and never look at any of them?
Why do our kids need so many toys?
Why do our kids need toys at all?
Why do some kids go without any toys at all?
Why?
Why do we fight about stupid stuff?
Why do some people get pregnant like that, while others can’t get pregnant at all?
Why are there orphans?
Why do children have to live through trauma?
Why do we meet and love people, and then never see them again?
Why do people play games with our minds?
Why don’t people believe in God?
Why does church have to be so political sometimes?
Why do we allow kids sporting tournaments to run on Sundays?
Why do kids have to specialize in a sport by 4th, 5th or 6th grade?
Why do we have to label people?
Why can’t we all just recognize that we have different personalities?
Why wasn’t I there the day a friend had an abortion?
Why wasn’t I there when friends were going through divorces?
Why do people have affairs?
Why do people look for happiness in complete strangers?
Why don’t people just commit and get married after 10 years of dating?
Why don’t we see extended family more often?
Why don’t we take care of ourselves?
Why does life have to be so fast-paced?
Why are we jealous of one another?
Why don’t we support each other more in our passions and pursuits?
Why do we keep our dreams to ourselves?
Why don’t I have lunch with you more often?
Why did we fall away from one another?
Why does it cost so much for competitive kids’ dance?
Why do I have a huge house and others don’t have one at all?
Why do I feel guilty when I buy regular eggs, milk, meat and produce instead of organic?
Why does everything have to be evil?
Why does everything seem to require money?
Why is life so complicated?
Why do we live so isolated?
Why are we confused?
Why are we lonely?
Why are we stressed?
Why does life feel like it’s always in some sort of disarray?
Why?
Why don’t we have more peace?
Why don’t we have more faith?
Why don’t we share more love?
Why don’t we care more deeply?
Why don’t we invite each other in?
Why don’t we connect?
Why compare?
Why don’t we just ask for help?
Why don’t we just ask for what we need?
Why don’t we just ask for a minute to breathe, for a minute to catch up to this crazy life?
Why don’t we just gather?
Why don’t we just sit in community and ponder all the questions?
Why?
These are all great questions, some I wish you weren’t having to ask but touching, brave and honest that you have! Thank you for putting those out there, I know I have my own “why” questions…like, “why do I feel weird or guilty for having questions at all?”
Good one!