“It’s not fair.” That’s the refrain parents often hear from their children when a privilege is withdrawn or a chore is added. I’ve heard that protest from my own children and, for the life of me, I have no idea where they learned it. Neither Anna nor I run around grousing that life isn’t fair, yet somehow a sense of injustice materializes at a young age. I’m sure I said it to my parents, and they probably to theirs. Perhaps we’re wired with a innate equation of justice—do good and good will be done to you. But the real world doesn’t seem to honor that equation. There are plenty of times when no good deed goes unpunished. As the apostle Peter suggests, we ought not to be surprised when trials come. At least for now. Soon, a time is coming when the equation will be restored and every tear will be wiped away (Rev 21:4). Until then, our faith must suffice to quiet the protesting child within us.

Your thoughts? What trials do you find surprising in your life?