Perhaps the most used words by a parent are, “Because I said so.” Do you agree? When that darling young child finally learns the famous question, “Why”, very soon you can hear the response, “because I said so.” If things got really intense between child and parent, the response might grow into this; “because I am you MOTHER, and I said so.” How many remember hearing those words in your lifetime. I remember them plenty.
Have you ever thought about God in those terms? I think that there are times when God just finally must say, “Because I said so.”
“Why do I have to love my enemy?” “Because I said so.”
“Why do I have to fast and pray?” “Because I said so.”
“Why do I have to tithe and give?” “Because I said so.”
“Why did my father have to die?” “Because I said so.”
There are so many instances when the only answer to our question is, “Because I said so.” The problem that we have with that answer is that so many of us are more educated than our level of obedience. What I mean by that is we are trained from childhood to figure out and find the truth in everything. Think about it. All through grade school, we are taught math and science and English, and we are taught by equations and methods and sentence structures to the point that everything has a nice, tidy answer to it. Unfortunately, I have found since graduating the third grade, that life does not supply many nice and tidy answers. There seems to be more gray areas than an old black and white photo.
It is when we are wandering through those gray areas that we must learn to accept His answer of “Because I said so,” and be obedient without understanding it all. Why do some people pass away and others live? I don’t really know, but I trust that He does, and I must continue to be obedient to him. Why do institutions of ill repute flourish, and churches struggle to pay the bills? I am not always sure, but I still am obedient to Him.
Is your day warm and sunny, or is it cloudy and cool? Either way, the best advice anyone can give is; obey, “Because He said so." Like the old song says, "God is too wise to be mistaken, God is too good to be unkind, so when you don't understand, when you don't see His plan, when you can't trace His hand, trust His heart."

We are having a wonderful vacation in Gatlinburg, Tennessee and when I awoke this morning and looked out from our deck, I was reminded of the wonderful creative love of God. It seems that just as we begin to wonder how bad this world may seem to be getting, He has this beautiful tendency to walk me above the clouds and give me a different perspective. When I looked out today, I saw the picture that I have attached to this post. While the picture doesn't do you justice - it is amazing in person.

What I am so grateful for today is that from God's perspective, all things are quiet and in control. As I looked from the deck, I couldn't see the "rat race" that was happening below the tree level. All I could see was the calm, glorious view of His creation. When He looks at us, He doesn't have to dwell on our stress, busyness, worry or any of the other things we have to constantly "think" about. He just sees His creation and when He sees us, He sees His creation and declares that He did a pretty good job? When we can get to the point that we agree with the Master Designer, we will become everything that He wants us to become and stop fretting about "not being enough"! After all, He is the Creator!