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“Why me, God?”

I almost came close to asking that question myself that today. Actually, I pretty much did.

It's a long story why I began to ask that, but I had to stop myself after I did. The reason why is because of something that one of my heroes once said. Arthur Ashe was a phenomenal human being in my book. No, it's not because he was a magnificent tennis player. When I say phenomenal human being, I'm talking about what mattered: his character. Ashe contracted HIV. It wasn't because he was immoral by being promiscuous or using drugs. He acquired it from a simple blood transfusion after a surgery. He did nothing to bring this disease down upon him, and neither did numerous others who have contracted it. Still, Ashe had AIDS. A fan asked him why God had selected him to have AIDS. Essentially, a fan was asking him if he ever asked: “God, why me?” Ashe's answer is perhaps one of the most profound statements that I have ever heard:

The world over, fifty million children start playing tennis, five million learn to play tennis, five-hundred thousand learn professional tennis, fifty thousand come to the circuit, five thousand reach the grand slam, fifty reach Wimbledon, four to the semi-finals and two to the finals. When I was holding a cup, I never asked God, “Why me?”, and today, in pain, I should not be asking God, “Why me?”

Today, I went through a period of pain, but it would be an insult to Ashe and HIV-positive people worldwide if I compared my pain to theirs. Regardless, I started to ask myself that question: “Why me, God?” Then, I thought of Ashe. My attitude immediately shifted to an attitude of reflection. God has blessed me for all of these years. Did I ever complain to God that he gave me the life that he did? Did I ever complain to God that he blessed me with wonderful people in my life? Did I ever complain to God that he gave me a live of comparative wealth compared to most of the world? No. Then, why should I complain to God about a minor pain that was my own fault that I brought upon myself?

Immediately, I was reminded of a line of Hebrew that I knew: “ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו לעולם ועד׃” — “Blessed be the name of His kingdom forever.” In our times of blessing, it can be very easy praise God. However, in those times of pain, it can be harder to do. I truly found it to be a blessing when I could still bring myself to praise God in spite of pain.

Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom, you know our necessities before we ask and our ignorance in asking: Have compassion on our weakness, and mercifully give us those things which for our unworthiness we dare not, and for our blindness we cannot ask; through the worthiness of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.