The Goodness of God
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Last week was truly a ‘birthday week’! Floyd's birthday was tender on Tuesday - my birthday was sweet on Thursday - and our daughter's birthday was on the weekend. It was always days of family celebrations in early August for us.
I awoke on my birthday to my phone pinging with lots of messages. My daughter had an hour-long birthday party for me - balloons, photos, pictures, gifs, sayings, and messages. She aimed for 73 of them for my 73rd birthday, and ended up with 133 of them!!! It was so fun - such a special start to my day......and a very unusual one! It made me smile so big!
Someone sent me this quote for my birthday: "If all you did was just looked for things to appreciate, you would live a joyously spectacular life." (Ester Abraham Hicks)
I have found that to be SO very true! When I'm sad, I look for happy things to be thankful for. When I'm lonely, I think of all my wonderful friends. When I'm not feeling good, I think of how grateful I am to be alive. When I miss Floyd, I thank the Lord that we had 54 years together. When it's cold and rainy, I thank the Lord that the sun always comes back out. When I'm tired, I thank the Lord that my strength comes from Him.
The Bible says it clearly - "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." Proverbs 23:7 What we focus on is what we will be. It's so important to focus our hearts and minds on positive, good, Godly things. That's why worship has been so important to me on our unexpected journey. It keeps my mind focused on God, on His goodness and provision.
I’ve been listening to a song - "The Goodness of God". It's such a powerful one to help focus our hearts on God's goodness. "Your goodness is running after me.....all my life You have been faithful.....all my life You have been good to me!" That's my testimony. God has been so good to me. And I love the phrase that God is running after me. He pursues us with His goodness. We don't even have to go searching for it. If we just turn towards Him - His goodness is right there! Just thinking about that makes my heart swell with joy!!
God has been so good to us through the years. Yes, there have been some hard times - that's life! But as I look back, I'm just so grateful for how God has helped us and carried us. He has been so faithful!
"The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth." Exodus 34:6
"The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works." Psalm 145:9
"Oh taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him." Psalm 34:8
I know I couldn't have survived these last few years without the goodness of the Lord! He has been my solid Rock!
Floyd enjoyed relaxing by watching a movie. He tended to like action flicks, but sometimes he'd watch a chick flick with me. I picked up his habit, so when my mind is overloaded and I need a break - I often watch a movie. Hallmark movies are my favorites because they are usually "feel good" type of movies. In spite of whatever drama comes up, they usually have a happy ending. And, interestingly enough, they often "speak" to me about something. I was watching one a few days ago. The woman in the movie was going through some problems. She said she'd learned not to concentrate on the "what if" but rather on the "what I have." I love that. I've been choosing afresh to follow her example.
When you have cancer (or any other major illness), it's easy for that illness to hang like a cloud over your head all the time. Whenever there's a "twinge" or some other little symptom - you immediately wonder if the cancer is back......what does this mean? I continually choose to not be anxious, to not worry - but that cloud is persistently there. I do everything I can to be proactive and dis-spell it. I'm following the example in the movie and focusing on the "what I have."
If we focus on the what ifs, we'll always come up short. We'll be discouraged, and probably overwhelmed. But if we focus on the what I have - we soon find that we have so, so much......things we take for granted that are actually huge blessings!
Today I'm focusing on the fact that I have so many wonderful friends all over the world! I am so blessed. I've received wonderful messages from literally the world over after Floyd's passing and for my birthday - such sweet messages of love. Floyd and I always said that one of our greatest treasures in life was people. We were so grateful for all the wonderful people that God brought into our lives. The "gift of people" is a treasure!!
"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits." Psalm 103:2
"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good." Psalm 118:1
"Give thanks in all circumstances." 1 Thessalonians 5:18
"Oh, how abundant is your goodness." Psalm 31:19
No matter what the circumstance is in my day, in my life - I "have" so many wonderful blessings. God is good!