Embracing the Goodness of God Daily

Discover how the goodness of God impacts our lives. He knows our hearts' desires, cares for our needs, and blesses our obedience. Be encouraged to seek God and notice His work around you!

FAITH

11/9/20247 min read

Sometimes I am just blown away by the goodness of God. It's like I know in my head that God is good, and I know in my heart that God is with me, but sometimes when I stop and reflect, and just really notice the ways in which God is present in my life, I am so incredibly grateful.

The Goodness of God

Recently, I went on a trip with my kids, and I experienced the goodness of God in several ways. It encouraged me to take time to notice the beauty and goodness of God on a daily basis. To stop and look around and really see God at work around me. I plan to jot down my sightings in my journal each week, so I can remember and enjoy and look back at all that God is doing. I hope by sharing the experiences of my recent trip that I can encourage you to do the same.

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God is My Ever-Present Help

I had a lot of anxiety leading up to my trip. That isn't really unusual for me. I tend to lean toward being anxious. My mind plays out the "what ifs" and every worst case scenario. Have you ever seen the movie Mom's Night Out? The main character often thinks "I've played it all out" as she imagines every worst case scenario. That resonates with me. I'm a work in progress...

I was anxious about this trip for a few reasons. I was going to be driving through four states, just me and my kids. On this drive, I knew I would have to navigate both Chicago and Detroit traffic. I really, really don't like traffic. The day before my trip, I started to get warning lights on my car's dashboard. Just low tire pressure...normally not a big deal as the weather starts to cool. However, for me it was a big deal. A few months prior, I had trouble with one of my tires and the low pressure light. After several tire refills, I brought it in, and found out there was a nail in my tire. The service department patched the hole, but they warned me that the patch may not hold. That it was in a location which had a high fail rate. So, when that light started to come on in my car, my mind played out having a tire blowout in Chicago at night on the expressway with nowhere to go and no one close by to call.

My husband checked all the tires and refilled the low ones. The next day...no light. So, we headed out on our journey and all went fairly well. Traffic was heavy but manageable around Chicago, and there wasn't much construction. The tire held up well, and we were on our way!

As I neared Ann Arbor and Detroit, though I started to feel the anxiety creep back in. Traffic wasn't bad, and we weren't even in the city yet, but I could feel my grip on the steering wheel tightening. My chest started to feel tight, and I was getting really warm. I was concerned, but then I started getting tingling sensations in my head...like you would get before passing out. I took the first exit I saw and headed toward the nearest gas station. I didn't know what to do. Call for help? Ask my sixteen-year old to navigate the upcoming city traffic?

I pulled into a parking spot, got out, and started breathing deeply. I needed a minute to myself, so I headed into the gas station and found the restroom. As I stood inside, trying to calm my breathing, I heard a familiar song. The gas station was playing Christian music, and the song's lyrics were: "My fear doesn't stand a chance when I stand in Your love." I just stood there for a moment, smiling, and so grateful for the reminder that God was with me. I took some time to walk around the store, got some snacks and water, and headed back out to the car, feeling quite a bit better.

God Blesses When I Follow Him

I knew for months that God wanted me to visit my family in Detroit. My mom grew up in Detroit, and there were several family members still in the area. However, my mom had passed away about a decade prior to this trip, and after the funeral, and as time went on, I saw these family members less and less. I knew God was prompting me to visit, though, so I reached out to two of my mom's sisters, and I made plans.

I am not really an outgoing person, so although I wanted to see as much of my family as I could during my visit, I really only told my two aunts that I was coming to town. I didn't feel comfortable telling my aunts what I wanted to do during the visit...I just wanted to go with the flow. Whatever they planned was just fine with me! I didn't want to be a difficult houseguest.

Imagine my delight then, when I get into town, and I learn that one of my aunts planned a brunch at her house. And, it wasn't just a lovely meal, she invited all of my Detroit family...and they all came. I was able to see my uncle (whom I hadn't seen since my mom's funeral) and aunt, several cousins and their families (one cousin had kids who I had never met before). It was wonderful, and such an incredible blessing. I was so grateful for the reminder that following God's will brings blessings. He knew what I needed, and He provided.

God Knows the Desires of My Heart

We had a lovely weekend visit, and headed home. My kids and I decided to break up the drive home by stopping at the Indiana Dunes along Lake Michigan. We needed a place to stretch our legs, and this place seemed like it would do the trick.

We stopped at a state park and found some trails to walk along. The wooded trails wound through the forest and led to a few of the taller dunes in the park. As we neared the top of one of the tall dunes, we could look out over Lake Michigan. It was beautiful and calming. We turned and headed down the trail toward a second dune. We reached the top and headed toward a clearing, expecting to see another beautiful lake view. Instead, we gazed out over miles of treetops that were gorgeous with autumn colors. It was breathtaking.

This may not seem like a big deal, but it was to me. All fall, I had been longing to see the beautiful autumn colors from up high, but plans kept falling through. My husband and I had plans to go to Rib Mountain and hike to see the fall colors from up high...but the timing didn't work out. Another weekend, I had hoped to hike Gibraltar Rock in Wisconsin to view the colors over the countryside with my daughter. It was too crowded and we couldn't find a single parking spot. At the time, I just shrugged it off. I was still able to hike with my husband and later with my daughter. We were still able to see the fall colors from the trail. It was fine! Yes, I wanted to see the colors from up high, but I was grateful for the hikes that I was able to take.

But God is so good. He knew the desire of my heart, and He chose to bless me with a gorgeous autumn view when I was least expecting it. It took my breath away, and it brings tears to my eyes as I think about it now. It seems like such a small thing, but I am so incredibly grateful to know that God sees me, and He cares about me, and He knows the desires of my heart.

Seeing Beauty All Around

This trip was a true blessing in so many ways. I have beautiful memories of being with my family, of traveling with my kids, and of experiencing God's goodness. It inspired me to look for the beauty that surrounds us on a daily basis. To really stop and see all that God is doing, that He is present, and that He cares. I plan to jot down the beauty that I see each week in my journal, so I can be reminded of God's goodness.

~I hope you take time to notice the beauty that surrounds you this week and in the weeks to come!

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