“Finding God’s Goodness”
Recently my youngest daughter began talking of a family trip from the past. She gushed about how fun it was and longed to return. I smiled as I listened to her joyfully recall what she remembered from the trip.
The reality of the trip was that it was a “National Lampoon” style vacation. I was Ellen and my husband was Clark; anything and everything went wrong. The oldest upchucked lunch in her airplane seat, the youngest cut her lip open on the stroller, and I fainted next to the shuttle bus. I’d love to say we, as parents, handled it all with grace, but ‘Chevy Chase’ style is a truer statement. Ironically though, our daughter recalls the good from it.
As I reflected on my daughter’s perspective, I considered my thoughts as an adult. So often, I would become too focused on what went wrong in a circumstance and dwell in the uncertainty of it. God would tug at my heart to remind me to focus on who He is instead. This came after a pivotal moment in my walk as a Christian when I wholeheartedly began to believe that God was good. The popular phrases and lyrics, “God is good,” or “He’s a good, good Father,” were hard for my heart to believe when my life wasn’t going as planned and my prayers felt unanswered. I knew He listened and answered prayers, but doubted this in certain areas of my own life.
Yet, through His goodness, God slowly began shifting my focus. He revealed my “if and then” prayers and gently encouraged me to grow into an “even if,” prayer. He revealed idols I had made within my mind and taught me to find my joy and contentment through Him. And lastly, He brought me perspective; reminding me to be rooted in gratefulness. The truth is there is always something “good” in the matter, but it can be difficult to see without a heart of gratitude. Gratefulness is key to seeing God at work even when circumstances are challenging.
Much more in life has altered my view on words such as “God’s goodness,” but ultimately it was God that gently guided me to trust Him and believe in His promises.
If your life is hard right now, and you are uncertain God is still ‘good,’ simply be honest with Him in prayer. He isn’t looking for a “Pollyanna” attitude; He wants your honesty and concerns, and with that, He will guide you to a stronger faith in Him.
I love that our daughter naturally sees the glass half full, but as life pushes on and challenges surface for her, I will be able to wholeheartedly tell her of God’s loving goodness for her life, too. Together, we will be reminded of God’s goodness throughout our lives.
