By Janean
There is a question that has plagued me this past year and it’s one that I have not allowed myself to ask. It’s a small, three-letter word, but delivers a big punch when asked, WHY? I haven’t allowed myself to ask this question for a few reasons. First, bitterness is something that we all can struggle with, and I feel that if I start to question God about why He saw fit to take Hannah from us, this will cause bitterness to build in my heart. Second, I personally feel that when a person asks God “why,” that shows doubt in His plan and it takes away the security of trust and faith. Thirdly, the word “why” could cause Satan to get his wicked foot in the door of my life and begin to destroy all that the Lord is trying to accomplish.
Recently, I had a conversation with the wife of a guest speaker at our church. When her husband introduced their family, he mentioned that they had a tragic loss five years ago with their son. I felt drawn to speak with her afterward because the Lord showed me that we have a connection and a complete understanding of each other since we both have suffered the unexpected loss of our oldest child. I mentioned to her the struggle that I was having about asking the question “why.” She told me that it is ok to ask that question. God wants us to talk with Him. Jeremiah 33:3, “Call unto me, and I will answer you, and show you great and might things, which thou knowest not.” She also reminded me that Jesus Himself asked God why on the cross. Matthew 27:46, “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
This past week, I have been taking some time and carefully asking God why. Why did He take Hannah from us? She wasn’t perfect, but she was heading in a God honoring direction and was eager to serve the Lord. Time and time again, we have heard testimonies from friends and acquaintances about her drive and godly focus in all circumstances. She was so young. She was just starting her life outside the home. So, why couldn’t she have had the opportunity to fulfill her life’s dreams? Why couldn’t she experience graduation, marriage, having children, serving with a husband in some form of ministry? Why, God why?
God, in His still small voice, gave me answers. He reminded me of a prayer request that Dave and I asked weeks before that dreadful night. Dave and I asked God to bring purpose into our lives, a reason to get up in the morning, and a direction that was completely guided by His hands. On my own, I was asking God to give Dave a job that we both could work together in. A ministry to serve together, just like our days at the camp. He also brought to my mind Hannah’s own prayer request. On November 4th 2024, in the afternoon, just hours before she took that bite of brownie, she went on a “prayer walk” with a friend on campus. She asked her friend to pray, “…that God would use her life for His glory, and for her life to impact a lot of people for Him.”
God, in His amazing way, had been working on all our hearts. And as we have said before, He was preparing each of us for a purpose, a direction that only He could orchestrate and carry out for His honor and glory. At this moment, God has opened a door for Dave and I to be in a ministry together. Starting the “Hannah Helps” non-profit was never on our radar. We never thought that our desire for godly purpose would bring us here. But there is so much need in the world. People need help with loss. Losing a child or another loved one is horrific. The pain, the emptiness, the grief, they are each hard to bear. People need to know how to help those with that kind of sorrow. People need to be made aware of allergies and take them seriously. Especially those that don’t know anyone personally with any kind of food allergy need to take into consideration the daily fear that, for some, coming into contact with something as simple as a nut, could end their life. People also need to understand the help that comes from organ donation. This is a selfless act of giving up something that they cannot keep, for a stranger and following God’s commandment to love your neighbor as yourself. Above all, people need to know the Lord. There are people walking this world that have never heard of their need for a Savior. There are people who have out right rejected the free gift of salvation, their only ticket for heaven. There are also “born-again” believers who have strayed away from the Lord due to some unforeseen hardship in life, and they need to return.
This is God’s answer to my “why” question. When you wholeheartedly give your life, your service, your all to Him, this is what He does. Why? To bring others to Him. To wake people up and get them moving on the right path. 1 Peter 5:10 says, “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that you have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” God does have a plan, a purpose, a reason “why” and He allows things to happen in everyone’s life. I want to finish with a challenge for each of us. Whatever is happening in your life, consider Philippians 4:6-7, “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
We are blessed.
Hannah Helps 