Author Archives: LJones

Bad timing not only leads us to ask “Why now?” but it stirs up the first question as well.  If our trials merely occur at an inconvenient moment in our lives, we might more easily endure.  But when we experience … Continue reading →

If we cannot be guaranteed of an answer to the question “Why me?” then perhaps we will be more fortunate with the partner of this demonic duo, “Why now?”  If God, in His wisdom, has chosen not to spare us … Continue reading →

Honesty and confession puts us in a better position to hear God, but they don’t guarantee an answer to the “Why me?” question.  In truth, we may never have a satisfactory answer, at least in this life. I have always … Continue reading →

Once we have leveled with God, our hearts are capable of confession.  Does the thought of confessing our faults to a God we believe to be partially responsible for our pain bother you?  Then we have all the more reason … Continue reading →

A first healthy step in coming to peace with God’s behavior toward us is to be honest about our feelings.  If we were crying out as victims of a crime and a policeman walked by without stopping to help, we would … Continue reading →

Intense personal suffering and catastrophic loss will test our faith, and shake our confidence in God’s justice.  While there is a point at which we have to guard against “feeling sorry for ourselves”, it is also dangerous to deny the … Continue reading →

We will try to make sense of these inquiries later, but for now it is only right for me to state my personal position on the question of fairness.  I suspect you already know: the test is “not” fair.  This … Continue reading →

More than once I have sat in my office, struggling with a grieving family member seeking the answer to these two simple inquiries (“Why me and why now?”).  I am always surprised to discover the grace with which most people … Continue reading →

In recent years standardized public school tests have been the subject of much debate.  The focus has been on disparities in the quality of school systems and the lack of opportunities some students have to prepare for tests due to … Continue reading →

When I counsel with people suffering through a difficult trial, I find their confusion over matters of faith often produces their greatest anxiety.  I know it sounds strange, but people can accept physical pain and personal loss as a part … Continue reading →