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Why

Tell a child not to do something and you will hear them ask, "Why"?, with the typical parental response being, "Because I said so".

The first time I heard myself say that, I thought to myself, when did I become my parents, the people I vowed while growing up, I would not become. What happened? I had to think this over.

From birth to about 5 I do not remember much, but I do remember learning what the word "No" meant and what would happen to me if I did not listen to that word, but it was around 5 that I remember asking for the first time, "Why"?. I may have asked earlier, but I do not remember.

So at the age of 5, my life began, I found that a paperclip made a good toy, wow look you can unbend them and make a long piece of straight wire out of it. Now what to do with it, let's see, I wonder, hey this is cool, look it fits into those little holes in the wall as mom yells, "Do not put that in there"? "Why"? I answered, "Because I said so", came the reply.

Okay, now that all makes sense, to us as adults, we know if you put a piece of metal into an outlet you will get a shock and you will fly through the air without the need of any assistance. But, what does a 5 year old know about electricity and how it is conducted.

But I am getting off subject here, let me get back to being 5 years old again, this is easy to do since many people have told me I have never grown up.

So I sit there with the paperclip in my hand, wondering why, I could not put this wire into that little hole, it must be fun because mom would let me do it is it wasn't fun, taking naps is no fun but I have to do it, playing in the mud is fun and I cannot do it, therefore putting the paperclip into this little hole must be ZAP "OUCH", I shake my head and realize I have been thrown across the room as mom runs in. She sees the paperclip on the floor, sniffs the ozone in the air, looks at me in a heap on the far side of the room, "Next time you will listen to me". Then mom runs over to us, hugs and kisses me and makes sure I am okay, she always leaves me with "I love you", knowing I will make a mistake again.

Now I told you that story, so I could tell you this:

We all must remember that God is our Father and no matter what our age we are His children. We pray and ask God for His guidance in our lives, He shows us the right path to take, we look at the path He has chosen and ask "Why"?

Then we sit back and think, well I know better, this other path looks like more fun and it is an easier path to walk, I will go this way. As we are headed down that path it suddenly turns dark and forbidding, we stumble and fall, we are hurt, scared and alone, we cry out to our Father to help us.

God comes to us, He looks at us and reminds us He would never tell us to go wrong, He reminds us that next time we should listen to Him, God then embraces us, makes sure we are okay tells us that He loves us and He sends us on our way, knowing we will make more mistakes along the way.

God our Father is like our parents were to us when we were growing up and the same as we should be to our children, God loves us, forgives us, and knows we will make mistakes, but as our mothers and fathers were He is always there to pick us up, comfort us, love us, and forgive us.

So in life when you wonder how you grew up to be your parents, look and see God in them and you will see God in yourself.