There are times when you are presented with something and you only have one response – WHY? 

It’s because whatever you’re presented with doesn’t make sense or it provides no help or purpose.

The other day I was handed a ham sandwich (that was delicious, by the way). In the sandwich, along with the ham and the lettuce, there was cheese. The particular variety of cheese in the sandwich was brie. 

As I was eating the sandwich, I asked my wife, Lily, what kind of cheese it was. When she told me, I said, “Why would they bother to put that cheese in the sandwich? It doesn’t have any taste.” 

Some may say that the cheese added texture to the sandwich, but really it didn’t make any difference to the sandwich whatsoever. 

I like to know the reason why people do things or why something is the way it is. In fact, it is always good to know the reason why … although one can get carried away. 

I once was trapped in a car with a five year old asking his father question after question without stopping. This boy’s questions were random, concerning everything his eyes gazed on inside and outside the car we were traveling in. 

When the child asked his dad why the sky was blue, I realized then that I was not the only one in the car who was tired of the incessant questions. 

The boy’s father answered him, “Just because, Richard; just because!”

And, with that, the questions stopped. 

I couldn’t help but think, “Why didn’t he give that kind of answer to the third question instead of the 20th?!” 

There is something inside us that wants to know why – why things exist, why we do things that way. 

I remember hearing a story about a woman who always cut off the end of the roast when she put it in the roasting pan. Her daughter grew up and one day asked her mom why she cut the end off the roast. Her mom answered, “I do it because that is how my mother cooked it.” 

So they asked Gramma why she used to cut off the end of the roast before putting it in the oven. Gramma replied, “because it was too big for my pot”. 

It’s good to know why; it helps us make decisions. 

This past week we rented a car while travelling. They gave us two sets of keys. When they handed me the keys, they were joined together by a wire that would require wire cutters or a bolt cutter to separate. 

We got two sets of keys but could only use them as one. 

If they didn’t want us to separate the keys, why not just give us one set? If we lost one, we’d lose both. 

Personally, one set fit better in my pocket than two. Having two car keys was a pain. 

I saw absolutely no reason to keep those keys together.

When I asked the guy at the rental counter, he didn’t really have an answer. He just shrugged his shoulders and gave me a wry smile. 

… Maybe he should ask his grandmother. 

Here’s the thing: There are many things in this world that we do not have the answer to. We don’t know the why. But we do know why Christ came to this world and gave His live for our sins. It’s because He loves us. We should remember that “why” when we think of our response to Christ and His offer of salvation. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What “why” question is bugging you right now? Leave your comments and questions below.

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