Wherefore Shall I Complain?

Description

Over the last few months I have attended four funerals, as I witnessed firsthand the grief and sorrow the families endured at the loss of their beloved. I listened to wonderful eulogies, acknowledgements, words of comfort, and invitations to Christian fellowship, and all with the exception of one sang the lyrics to the song by Reverend Paul Jones, titled “I Won’t Complain”, as he says

I've had some good days
I've had some hills to climb
I've had some weary days
And some sleepless nights

But when I look around
And I think things over
All of my good days
Outweigh my bad days
I won't complain

Sometimes
the clouds are low
I can hardly see the road
I ask a question, Lord
Lord, why so much pain?
But he knows what's best for me
Although my weary eyes
They can't see
So I'll just say thank you Lord
I won't complain

We spend an awful amount of time worried about things we cannot control. A lot of time worried about who has
advantage; who owns this and that; wondering when or if we will ever get our rightful piece of the pie. We ask, “when will our ship will come in?” We ponder why the fortunes of the unjust are greater than those of the righteous, and how they constantly and persistently take advantage of the least of us, and nothing ever happens. Unscathed, in fact it appears the extremes of their iniquity are well rewarded. We, on the other hand, have tirelessly worked and scraped, just to put two nickels together, and for every step of progression forward, we seem to take three back, ending up right where we were before.

Scripture does not promise equity; however, God's words are true. They do not ring hollow, as it is written,

Isaiah 55:10-12

10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to
the sower, and bread to the eater: 11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 12 For ye
shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

We are not a suffering people, but those that endure, persevere. Our lives are not filled with a wealth of
hardship, but an abundance of joy. And while the world falls deeper into sin, we are the light that shines forth in darkness. A lighthouse that sets forth the path for those that are adrift to follow, not as a principle of title (Christian), but through the manifest demonstration of our abounding faith, enduring patience, and the abundance of love we earnestly demonstrate towards one another.