inconsistent

Life is inconsistent sometimes. Well, not totally. To be inconsistent, one part of it would have to conflict with some other part--for example, one day George Washington is dead and gone, and the next he's sitting on your couch watching TV. It is, however, inconsistent with its design. It's the kind of inconsistency you would find when the blueprints show a room as 279' by 612' (yes, I know how enormous that would be), and yet its 2' by 4'. I'm not exaggerating--the world is nothing like its blueprints.
Here's what I mean: the Bible states that the first will be last (Matthew 19:30). It also says that the humble--the inconspicuous and the small--will rule the world (Matthew 5:5). This isn't how the world works. It didn't work that way 2000 years ago, either. Jesus knew that when he said these things.
One story from the Gospel of Mark especially fascinates me. In chapter 12, verses 41-44, it describes a widow going to the temple and dropping two copper coins into the collection box. This is the equivalent of someone going to church today and putting a single penny into the offering plate.
All around her, the rich and powerful are dropping massive amounts of money into this box, proudly displaying to the world just how rich they are. Most likely, they're watching this little widow give the most useless gift imaginable (except for one copper coin, I guess).
Then Jesus says a thing that is so-often repeated that its oddity is nearly forgotten. He calls his disciples around him and says, (v. 43-44) "I assure you: This poor widow has put in more than all those giving to the temple treasury. For they all gave out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she possessed--all she had to live on."
Wait a second. . .she gave a penny, and Mr. Zechariah Rich-Man just put in a million dollars. She gave the most?
I can imagine what the disciples must have said to their teacher. "Do you need a drink, Jesus?" "Are you talking about that widow?"
I'm not saying that Jesus was wrong, but here's what I am saying. Life doesn't fit the blueprints. This widow didn't give the most money, although on a percentage scale she was certainly the highest. But what happened when she went home? She had nothing left. As pessimistic as this sounds, my guess is that she didn't do real well. I'm not trying to discourage anyone from giving 100%, that's just how it typically works.
"So? That isn't the point of the story!" I know this. The thing is, I can't get over the fact that God doesn't seem to bless the people who do the most for Him. Why not? Why? Why why why?
I'm going to close with a list of "whys sort of about suffering," which will be answered in entirety. . .someday. Maybe.

Uno: Why do God's people have to suffer, and the devil's seem to have everything they want?
Dos: If God is so loving, why does He send people to Hell?
Tres: Why did God allow sin in the first place?
quatro cuattro kwatro Four: Why doesn't God just destroy the universe and start over?

Goodbye, valiant reader (and sorry if I wasted your time),
Mitchell