Good

So, I don't sit around thinking big thoughts.  Mostly I think about silly things like what I'll make for dinner, that cute guy I met at a wedding, how the dirty laundry seems to reproduce in my hamper, how cute my cats are when they lay on their backs, and what TV shows will be on Hulu today.

But, sometimes, I catch a big thought.  I am trying more and more to spend all day with God instead of just the morning. I'm trying to ask him about dinner, tell him about the cute guy, invite him to do laundry with me, and thank him for my funny pets. Oh, and of course here what he has to say too...ahem.

I'm not good at it.

Recently, though, I've had a big thought that is so vast it's simple, and so challenging that it stills me.

God is good.

Yes and amen.

But...what if he wasn't?  History, and even the modern era, are slathered in cultures that believe in gods who are not good. They are fickle, or selfish, or distant, or just plain hard. Gods who demand children as sacrifice. Gods who use people for their own gain. Who are jealous of mortals and hurt them. Who are deceitful and war even among themselves. Gods who use man for their own gain. Whose very worship requires the  exploitation of women.

What if God was like that? As a lover of truth, I'd have to acknowledge God. A god like that wouldn't allow the freedom to choose, anyway. I'd live in valid fear for myself. I'd probably curl around my own soul to protect it, and try to hide in mediocrity. There would be no joy in knowing a Creator. There would be no hope in the dark moments for a brighter future. My greatest dreams would revolve around trying to avoid the scorching wrath of an inconsistent being and stealing whatever moments of rest I could.

Oh, I'm so glad that God is good.

God.
Is.
Good.
Yes and amen.

He is not mean, he is not harsh, he is not apathetic. He is a God who does the best for His people. While the world is still plagued with hurt and harm borne on the sour breath of evil and enacted by fallen men, even the very worst that Hell and man can do is not too bad for God. He can bring good and glory out of the worst things.  Not by force, but by freedom. By his gentle love, insane wisdom, almighty, uh, mightiness, and pervading grace.

 God does not do things to us. He does things FOR us. He doesn't want attention, he seeks affection. And he does so by pouring it all over us.

Recently he nudged me to ask him for something. Not world peace, not even a good season for the Hogs. This was something that matters only to me. It was not a "honorable" prayer, and it wasn't necessary. But he nudged me to pray for something I can't do for myself that would just make me happy. So I did.
And he answered.
Just for me.

How cool is that?  The God of the Universe wanted me to be happy.

I love you, Lord, for you are good. So good and so grand that mere adjectives cannot capture your YOUness, but you hear my heart beating in wonder.  All my love and gratitude. All my heart.