Stuff happens and I can only wonder why?

My lawn mower coughs up oil and whines. Why? The idiot light flashes off and on in my car. What gives? There’s a small hole in the siding at the back of my house, pecked out by birds last spring. Why me?

An outraged motorist runs me off the road. Why? The clerk in the grocery store closes her station after I wait 15 minutes. What gives? The cop on the corner ignores the guy in the red sports car zipping down the road and pulls me over for going 10 miles over the speed limit. Why me?

Some guy below the gnat line in South Georgia wins $150 million in the lottery. Why? Thousands of journalists across the country have lost their jobs and can’t find work. What gives? I’m short, bald and my prostate seems to grow larger each day. Why me?

Well, stuff happens. You don’t pay attention to your lawn mower and car, there’s a good chance they’ll break down at some point. People are crazy, especially motorists who have anger issues and others are just plain lucky – I’m thinking lottery here.

The world changes and jobs come and go. I’m certain there’s some sort of algorithm to detail the ups and downs of the economy and recent job losses and I’m also certain it would take me a few thousand words to explain it all. The good news is I can explain the bald, short, prostate thing in one word – heredity!

I learned Wednesday that my next door neighbor has a brain tumor. Gloria, a high school math teacher, is beautiful and smart and seems to have the perfect family – adoring husband and two wonderful kids. John is a sophomore at Alabama and Lisa learned just last week that she'll be attending the University of Georgia next year.

Those who believe in the healing nature of prayer might think of adding Gloria to their prayer lists. I’m certain she’s lived her life in such a fashion that the warm embrace of God is already present as she and her family now hover just this side of that valley, the one filled with the shadow of death.

The news so far has all been bleak. Storm clouds rest uneasily on the horizon. And all I can do at the moment is wonder why?