Recently, I’ve continued to go through a long-standing lesson: facing unsatisfactory situations without falling into the habit of complaining. In the summer of 2023, when I returned to my home in Toronto, a storm hit. The storm severely damaged my already aging roof, causing several asphalt shingles to fall off. My hope of waiting another two or three years to replace the roof was shattered, as replacing a roof in Canada is quite expensive. Last year, when I had to replace the roof, I truly felt like trouble was piling on. I questioned God, wondering why He didn’t protect me from this difficulty, and complaints began to surface.
In Chinese culture, it’s often said that there are many complaining women, but I believe there are also many complaining men—complaining knows no gender. However, God is gracious and merciful. He doesn’t intend to bring disaster but to give peace to believers.
This June, when I returned to Toronto, I experienced my first close encounter with a tornado. I witnessed trees being blown down, cars damaged, and hail, lightning, and storms all attacking at once. After the storm, when I went outside, I saw that the tree in front of my house had been knocked down. But two days earlier, my wife had noticed the tree leaning a bit, so she didn’t park the car next to it. As a result, the car wasn’t hit by the falling tree. At that moment, I knew that God is indeed gracious and merciful. As I sat down and reflected, I realized why God had led me to replace the roof last year—otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
The future is unknown to us, but God has already prepared it. What we see as a difficult path is actually a narrow road that avoids greater dangers ahead. When we walk through tough times, it’s natural to complain against God and others. We may ask why God is leading us into these situations and why we must deal with certain people. When we lose hope for the future, we may start feeling that God isn’t watching over us. In times of adversity, the only way to escape the cycle of complaining against God is to look to Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith. If we only focus on our current circumstances and don’t look to God, who controls the future, we’ll be filled with doubts and even complaints.
In the Old Testament, there are many accounts of the Israelites complaining against God. Complaining wasn’t just a problem in the Old Testament; in the New Testament, the apostles frequently reminded us not to complain (1 Corinthians 10:10-11). Today, we can step out of the ranks of complainers and step into God’s protection. The current situation before us is not a disaster, but a path of peace that God has prepared to save us from danger.
Pastor Tak Shun Lee