Understand why? Not all of it



maybe not how I remember it

Aren't there lots of strange things that happen that we can't explain? Have you ever watched human or animal behavior that defies explanation? Some days ago there was a story of a woman who uses a tanning bed and you could see the harm she did to her skin. Why would she go to that extreme? When I was a kid I remember a washer machine over flowing  with suds and the woman was pouring more soap into the machine. I still hear my dad laughing and that was 50 years ago. Sometimes even when you find the reason for some strange behavior it is still crazy.
Earlier this week Mart Dehahn in his blog presented the problem of the ostrich in Job 39:13-18. http://beenthinking.org/
It is part of God's counsel to Job who had undergone tremendous suffering. Job and his so called friends had been trying to explain why God allowed Job to go through his experiences. Job's friends basically blamed Job for his problems. God in His answer explained lots of things we can't explain about the created world and happenings. So off I went and the last couple of days I took a closer look at the ostrich. Part of our problem with animal behavior is our tendency to give the animals human qualities. I like to think of it as the "Disney effect." In every Disney movie animals are given human qualities and even speech. The problem is animals don't act that way. An Ostrich we observe lacks the parenting skills of other birds but the destroyed eggs become food for the birds that do hatch. But when it comes running, the speed of the horse and brains of a rider can't keep up with the bird. There are allot of things we are trying to understand. Look at Job 39:13-18 and what do you think?
There are times when Jesus posed questions and problems and He let His disciples think on it. It is good for our brains to dig deeper. I think we are used to the 30 minute plot that is all tied together. Life is much more interesting and sometimes we just don't get it.

I actually had one of these birds walk right up to me in
Africa. It wasn't one of my braver moments.

As for Job he decided to listen to God and not on his reasoning or that of his friends. Human suffering can overwhelm us. It can test our faith and reveal or strengths and weaknesses and it can help us draw closer to God. Viktor Frankl observed the horrors of the concentration camp increased the faith of those who went through it.
Understanding the ostrich is easier then understanding pain and suffering. So thanks Mart for giving me something to think about. The bigger problems of a fallen world I am glad God sent His Son to give us faith, hope and love.
Today's temperature was in the high 80's and 90's. A good day for indoor walking or a gym. Walking for me is part of a recovery for me when I had problems. Walking doesn't solve all of our problems or understand the funny way of humans, but it helps. Keep walking