What keeps you awake at night?

What keeps you awake at night? What I really mean is... What are the things in life that trouble you? I have a list. There is a song that asks God to break my heart for the things that break His heart. Those are the things that should keep me up at night.

One thing that troubles me is that people have to suffer. When someone's suffered all the treatments of cancer & then, the cancer returns, why does that person have to live with pain that can only be relieved by morphine, only to end in death? Why can't God just quietly, peacefully call that person home?

Why do things happen in this world that place one person in authority over another, only to abuse the power of his/her position. Why are children born into homes only to suffer abuse & neglect? Why do such cycles repeat themselves?

Why do people get caught up in the shortcomings of other people & forget their own weaknesses? I am sure Jesus hung out with the outcasts, the hurting, the sickly, the sinners... I believe he met people where they were, & their stories changed from that very moment.

What keeps people from coming to Christ? Is it fear, pride, ignorance, hurt, their upbringing, their spouse, a traumatic experience from their childhood, having Christianity shoved down their throat? Maybe it's the hypocrisy of the Christians they've observed.

Why does prejudism (not a real word) still exist in 2012? Why do people stereotype others & treat them as lesser human beings? Have people not realized that in Heaven there will be all races & all denominations? Why don't people treat others how they would like to be treated?

Why do people try to fill their emptiness with all the wrong things? Materialism only increases one's appetite for more. People will always let you down. That's a guarantee. Being popular creates terrible pressure. Being perfect repels others. Even health is fleeting. Addictions only mask our pain for a short time leading us further down a path of destruction.

Really... the only lasting security & fulfillment we find in life comes through Christ. Truly, the only difference between a person that has a relationship with Christ & a person without Christ, is hope. Those who follow Christ, & those who don't, both experience hardship. Both sin. Both think bad thoughts. Both suffer in their relationships. Both have accidents. Both get cancer. Both have voids. Both hurt. Both fear. Both have anxiety & mental illness.

Christ is not a cure all for our earthly life. No... He is so much more. When we come to Christ, we do not become exempt to any of the temptations of this world. We are not exempt to sickness, financial problems, or mistreatment from family members. Hardship is a reality with or without Christ.

A relationship with Christ never leaves us empty when we turn to Him. He might not answer our cry how we we hope, but  He answers it for His ultimate good (which is for our ultimate good), even though it makes no sense to us. It's hard to reconcile a loving Father with the evils of the world but that is because our understanding of loving is through our earthly eyes. Through Christ, we have a hope which cannot be destroyed. Heaven is a certainty for those who love Him, truly our only guarantee in this earthly life.