The phrase that keeps repeating itself over and over again in my mind the past few days has been “Oh, what a difference a week makes.” Just 7 days, 168 hours, 10,080 minutes and so much has changed, for so many. In the midst of all the changes, we are all learning to find new ways of life, new rhythms and new routines. I have found myself in a state of bombardment with a mixture of facts and opinions regarding our current state and the difficultly of trying to sort through them all. I have found that while turning on my local news station, reading articles by the best in the medical field, and even hearing the personal stories of those effected can be both beneficial and helpful to create healthy boundaries for me and my family, these simply cannot be the foundation for which I stand on or my source for which I find truth. For we are all human and therefore we are all flawed, imperfect, limited.
We as a people, are limited in our capacity to comprehend every truth there is on any one specific issue. Humbling I know, but none the less true. More so, we as individuals are limited by our own perspectives and how we view those truths. So even when truth is presented to us, we often filter this information through our own lens of experiences, fears, and biases. This is what makes us limited…this is what makes us human. BUT…and yes this is a big but, we are under the mighty care of a God with no limitations, a God with no flaws.
The other day I was talking with God, you know the typical father/daughter chat...what I would like, what I don't like, sharing all my concerns with Him and asking all my questions to Him. By the way, am thankful God is a good listener and that He is not bound by time, because man this girl can talk! I felt like a confused little girl. One who only a week ago was in her rain boots enjoying the freshness of spring, splashing in the puddles and soaking up the sun. Within days the rains came down harder and harder and the waters quickly began to rise. I soon found myself standing in flooded and murky areas. I could feel my feet becoming shakey, uncertain, and stuck at times trying to wade through all the debris and muck that the floods brought. Each step becoming a little more difficult and a little less certain. When all of a sudden, God's mighty words came flooding back to my mind and quickly within a moment became a foundation and a truth for my unsteady and unsure boots to stand on.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” -Romans 8:28
These words are tried and true. They are steady and sure. They are God’s promise to us. He says that in all things…He will work for the good. He, Him, God the Creator of the universe will make good out of all things. When we love God and put our faith and trust in Him alone, He will bring good into our lives, no matter what the circumstances. I can’t even begin to imagine what a tall order that is, but I do know He is faithful to deliver. Even in the midst of choas, dysfunction, fear, panic, corruption, sickness, pain, and uncertainty...God makes good! This is what He does, always has and always will. While it is His promise to make good, it is our responsibility to look for it. We must take time each day to search for that which is good, that which is God. He is still on the move, He is still doing miracles, He is still healing, He is still providing, He is still saving, He is still bringing hope to His people because He is still King!
It was at that moment that I looked down at my rain boots all covered muck and grime and realized that weren’t rain boots at all, they were “crap kickers!” These boots were made for getting dirty, to kick crap out of their way, to shuffle and stomp through the grime in order to find the gold. Today, I find myself wearing these boots proudly, still wading through the mire and occasionally getting a foot stuck, but holding fast to the truth that amidst all the gunk, God makes good!
So, while I continue to do my best to maintain and sustain my own personal home front, I will also continue to search and share that which is good, that which is God! And that is my commitment, to use this blog over the next few months to share with you all our personal stories, our experiences, and our testimonies of seeing God’s good! So, before I read the news, I will read God’s word. Before I check in with the world, I will check in with my Father. Before I fill my mind with the world’s opinions, I will fill my heart with His truth. Before I choose to look around, I will choose to look up...all while searching for that which is good!
