"I want it! I don't want to go!" wailed the toddler as she lay in the middle of the mall walkway, arms and legs flailing. Her mother knelt beside her trying to get the child under control. The father tried to look as if he didn't know them by standing a few feet away. That's when the mother, through gritted teeth, said, "Do you want to help me here?"
I, being a sympathetic bystander, felt this was a stupid question. My first reaction would be: "No, I really don't want to help you. That's why I'm standing way over here." Actually, that father knew what this question really meant: "You better get over here fast!"
How many stupid questions we hear everyday.
As a teacher, my favorite has to be the student who asks, "Do we have to do this?" To which I want to reply: "No, I just lectured for forty-five minutes and wrote the assignment on the board for myself."
Another stupid question that cracks me up is when someone gets choked on some food in a restaurant. As the person is coughing and sputtering someone invariably asks: "Are you all right?" Give me a break! The person can't even answer because of coughing uncontrollably.
How about that moment when a husband and wife are disagreeing loudly. After several moments of voicing their opinions, the husband folds his arms and clams up. This prompts the wife to ask, "Are you upset?" Well, duh!
Notice that with all of these stupid questions, the answer was already known. Why do we ask questions if we already know the answers? Sometimes I feel we do this because we don't know what to say.
I fear I often react the same way when confronted with a test to my faith. Let a trial appear, and I am asking: "Why me? Why is this happening? Is God not listening?" Those are really stupid questions because I know the answers. God allows me to be tested to build my character so I can be more like Christ and thus a stronger witness. He made it clear that He "would never leave me nor forsake me."
When faced with trials or tests, I shouldn't ask, "Why?" I should ask, "God, will you lead and guide me through so I can see the good that You plan to bring?"