Permitted with Purpose

Why did God make me this way?

This was my child’s lament in the throes of algebra-induced frustration. I tried (unsuccessfully) not to cry, too; I ache for it to be different for her.

Despite her struggle, she acknowledges God’s power to cause a change in her abilities. Yet, she was, to some degree, blaming Him; her comment indicts God for not allowing it to come easily for her.

I am powerless to change this for her. I know that God can, yet to this point has chosen not to. I felt my role was to help lead her to see what God was accomplishing in and through it. When I asked what she thought, she came up empty. I reminded her that God made her perfectly, wonderfully (Psalm 139:14), and shared with her what I have observed:  

• She has learned the value of hard work through redoing assignments to garner comprehension of difficult concepts. And she’s seeing the fruit of her labor with a steadily improving grade.
• She is growing in the humility of asking for and accepting help. Her journey ministers to me in this area as well.
• She has given others the opportunity to use their gifts to bless her through being tutored by an older student.
• She readily empathizes with those around her as they struggle with their own challenges – academic or otherwise. I’ve watched her encourage her siblings in their learning.
• I see her learning how to bear up under the hardship with more and more grace, accepting that this is a challenge that is likely to linger and – despite wishing it to be different – she will carry on.

As I direct her gaze to these thoughts, asking her to see how God is using it, I fear they smack of platitudes. They don’t ring hollow or false, just ethereal, I suppose. They are true, but seem to bring no consolation to her sweet soul for the present trouble.

So, I remind myself, and her, that this is the very reason I cling to Romans 8:28 so tightly, for it contains my hope: Whatever God has permitted, He will redeem for His purposes. Though I may not see how God will use this in her life, He has promised that it will be brought to good use and for His Glory. For this is the essence of faith:

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.
— Hebrews 11:1 NLT

We don’t yet see how this will be used for His glory or our good, but because of our faith we have confidence that what we hope for (redemption) will actually happen.

God works all things together for our good.

Even algebra.

Story told with permission, for the purpose of His redemption:
Your comments  – if God has encouraged you through it – would  bolster her faith.