Do you ever ask why?

Have you ever found yourself asking why? Why God? Why do certain things happen? Why have there been over 100 murders in the city of Memphis? Why is the Christian church throughout the country in decline? Why?
Kellie and I find ourselves asking why when it comes to raising funds for adoption. All of our paperwork is finished. However our dossier sits on the desk of our social worker because we do not have the finances to continue. We are still thousands of dollars short. We ask why we cannot come up with the money.
Why must Leuleseged remain an orphan when we long so much to bring him home. Why?

Tonight I found myself asking why again. My mom called and was crying so hard I could barely understand her. She informed me that my parents house had burned. They have worked so hard on that house. For the first time in their lives, they had laid new carpet. My dad added on the house by building a den and expanding the bedroom. It is now gone. My dad runs an upholstery business from his garage - it is now gone. Their source of income is gone, they are without a home. I ask myself - why? They love God dearly. They were so excited to have family over and pray together and fellowship and live in community - now their home is gone. I cannot pretend to know what they are going through. I am sitting in my home right now. It is air conditioned, it contains all of my earthly possessions. But their home is destroyed. Their house is gone. I have fond memories of that house. I spent my high school years there. We moved around a lot and it was one of the few houses I actually considered home. It is now gone.

Honestly, I do not know how to respond. I will offer anything I have, but it seems so strange. I feel helpless being in Memphis while they are in Oklahoma. I could go to where they are, but what could I do? I can provide a shoulder to cry on, a prayer, an encouraging word, food.

As I began to question, I also began to realize how important it is to have a home that is not in this world. My parents house was burned, but their home is not of this world. The roof over their head is no more, but their true shelter is in the Lord.