"Gina, you've noticed that I've been avoiding you lately... I have been thinking about that a lot, and I have come to the conclusion that I can no longer associate with you."

Tears filled my eyes as I waited to read the words "just kidding." But he wasn't kidding! Rereading the e-mail, I slowly absorbed what was happening, and I thought to myself as I burst into tears, "It's not fair!"

Just weeks away from baptism, I was ready to commit my life to God—so why was He doing this? Why was He taking away one of my closest friendships? I had known this boy all my life; he was practically like my brother. How could this happen? Why would God just let him leave like that?

A scripture came to mind. "Is it not destruction for the wicked, disaster for workers of iniquity?  Does He not see my ways, and count my steps?" (Job 31:3-4) In other words, "Why am I being punished? I'm a good person, God, you know that! This is unfair!"

Neither the patriarch Job nor I could see the point. And haven't we all felt like God was being unfair with us at one time or another? But is God really unfair?

One Friday evening at five o'clock my doorbell rang. There stood my friend who had said three months earlier that he never wanted to see me again. "Do you want to go for a walk?" he asked. Of course, I did. Retrieving my shoes, bursting with joy, I said a quick prayer, wondering what would happen next.

Walking only a short distance, he broke the silence, "Gina, I thought about everything and I made a mistake. I'm sorry for what I put you through over the past months, and I hope you can forgive me and we can be friends again." Of course, we could and I had.

Later I wondered how this happened. I hadn't spoken to him for three months so it certainly couldn't have been me who changed his mind. Then I realized—God really isn't fair.

I'd done nothing to deserve my friend back, yet God brought him back anyway. How many times had I sinned, how unthankful had I often been for things? God didn't owe me anything, and in all honesty I deserved nothing. Yet because God isn't "fair," I receive the undeserved blessings that I overlook every day.

How can we think that it's unfair if we get fired from a job; yet if we get a promotion, we think that we did something wonderful to deserve it? How can we think it's unfair to get an F on a paper at school after studying all night, but not think twice about receiving an A on a quiz in a class where we completely slacked off?

Why me? When something bad happens, we often think the situation is unfair—yet if we were to really look at life, realizing the amazing calling we have been given to know the truth of God, we would humbly be asking the same question: Why me?

It's amazing; but God "saved us and called us with a holy calling," not because of anything we've done, but because of "His own purpose and grace" (2 Timothy 1:8-9). We've done nothing to deserve it, yet He still chose us.

Next time something bad happens that you think you don't deserve, or next time you simply feel discontented with your life—remember the many things you have to be thankful for. Count your blessings. Life is "unfair!" VT