When something tragic or unexpected happens, our first question seems to be, “Why me?” It’s only human to feel this way and wonder why life has got to be so hard. God has helped me look at my unwanted circumstances with a different question. Rather than keep the focus on my pain and ask, “Why me?” I focus on Him and wonder, “How can You be glorified when everything is going wrong?”

Adding one more word to that question makes a huge difference spiritually and opens my soul to find so much more than just my pain. Another way to look at life’s tragedies is, “Why not me?” Sure, we each have our own amount of personal sorrows. These are the kind of sorrows that have no answers. We can't explain away death, cancer, rape, bankruptcy and other heartaches. It is easier to explain the tragedies of man than it is to explain the goodness that continues to exist on this earth. This question can lead us to wonder, Why, with the huge amount of evidence of the coldness of man’s heart, is there so much good and beauty in the world?

The world is full of the glory of God, even in the midst of the pain and suffering. His beauty shines in His creation and especially in the hearts of mankind, whom He loves. The very fact that He does not abandon us, in spite of how much we fail Him, is evidence of a love that is beyond our understanding. Even with as much pain and suffering as we can find in this world, glimpses of God’s love, intimacy and involvement with His fallen creatures remain.

The glory of God is the scent of the universe. Creation bursts with His glory. The sunrise and sunset are evidence of His wonders. Perhaps David said it best:

“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them” (Psalm 8:3-4)?

We can look at our life in this world through the gloom of what is next and ask how will I live through this tragedy? Or we can look at our life through the mist of this world and wonder, How will God give me the strength to face this obstacle?” Who will He send to help when I need it? What needs to grow in me so that I can face it? How can I become more open to His love, involvement and care?

When we feel defeated by our challenges and struggles, it is transforming to take the focus off what is so wrong with the world and begin to look at what is right. When we stop focusing on the suffering and begin to see the strength that is being carved out of the hard circumstances, hope and wonder like David had when he wrote his Psalm appear.

Accepting that some of the Why's will remain a mystery for our lifetimes and wondering why God could love you, a sinner, will make all the difference in how you face the obstacles so that they transform you rather than knock you down.