goodness

God’s Goodness in My Morning Walk

~ mercyfortheday ~ Leave a comment

As I rounded the corner to turn west that morning, the flag flying low slapped me in the face. Oh. I walk by this flag every morning, but I barely notice it. This brush across the face by the stars and stripes reminded me that I’ve been slapped with freedom just by being born in this country. It reminded me that I’m proud to be a citizen of this great nation. Politics aside, I’m living free. And that feels good.

But I also notice a few less patriotic scenes as I walk along. One of the recently sold houses was purchased by a young family. I’ve never seen the kids, but I see all their bicycles and toys and deflated inflatables lying on the lawn. For the life of me, I don’t understand why they don’t pick up these toys each night and put them away. And, for pete’s sake, the SOLD sign is still stuck in their yard. But the scene that I witnessed that morning outshone all the mess before me. I saw the mom and dad on the porch hugging each other as they shared a morning kiss. They stayed in that embrace for a few seconds before he pulled away. As he walked down the stairs to his truck, he timidly smiled at me.

Oh. I’ve noticed this couple on the front porch several other mornings, just not in a sweet embrace. I’ve seen them sitting there chatting before their busy day starts. One morning, they were sitting on the lawn and she held a book in hand. I imagined that she was reading the Bible to her husband as a loving way to start the day. But I don’t know if that’s true or not. It’s refreshing to see a young couple enjoying each other’s presence before the house erupts with kid’s needs.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. Psalm 100:4

On around the corner sat the sheriff’s car. I’m not sure if he was processing paperwork or waiting for speeders. Either way, I walked on by without hesitation. I’ve seen this car in the church parking lot many other times, but never with a law enforcement officer sitting in it.

I’ve had multiple occasions to meet dogs while getting my steps in. One such morning, I walked past a trailer just as the owner opened the door to let her two dogs out. One rushed at me and brushed against my leg. As I continued walking, the owner yelled with her gruff, smoky voice to get back here, with a profanity thrown in for good measure. Each morning that same dog barks at me from inside the trailer as I walk past, and the owner lets out a gruff rebuke each time.

On one morning’s walk, I had the opportunity to meet a dog named Goldie. Her owner held tightly to the leash, because she said Goldie would want to follow me. I told her that I once had a dog that would try the same thing. Goldie seemed to be mild mannered and gentle. She didn’t rush toward me or make a sound as I walked past. Oh. I called her by name so she would hopefully see me as a friendly sort.

Further on in my walk, another dog ran through a neighbor’s yard toward me. Oh. He was a friendly guy. He’s a hunting dog. I had met him a few month’s earlier when he got loose one morning. At that point, I had no clue where he lived or who owned him, so I was able to pull him into the house and call the number on his collar. The owner later came to pick him up. Through my morning walks, I’ve now discovered where Toby lives. He barks at me each morning as I walk past his house. He doesn’t realize I rescued him months earlier. But on this particular morning, he ran toward me from a yard that was not his. As I reached to find his owner’s phone number on his tag, he felt the shock from his collar. Off he ran toward home. And as I continued on my path to home, I heard his owner yelling loudly at him over and over again.

I notice the cars and trucks on the streets as people are leaving to begin a new workday. I’m thankful that my years of daily work have come to an end, and look forward to years ahead of slow living. I hope these workers realize that while the days are long the years really are short. Soon, they will be the ones pursuing a slower pace of life.

I see the old 2-story Victorian that recently had a facelift. It now looks loved and well cared for. It now looks inviting. I would love to commend the owner if I ran into them on the sidewalk. If only the neighboring houses would follow suit. Too many houses in this small town don’t have any appeal, yet the streets are lined with years old trees. It’s obvious the houses and the village have been around for many, many years, but the pride in it has fallen to a severely low point. I discovered a lawn ornament in the lawn across the street from that spiffed up house. I’m not sure how long it has sat there, but I have to believe it’s been a long while. The pale blue toilet sure makes a statement, all right.

I noticed the alley that I recently learned has likely been used as a drug selling spot at one point in history. I avoid walking that path. Now the owner of the big house has a legitimate job and the illegal sales seemed to have stopped. At least, that’s what I’ve been told. If only he would take care of his property, the neighbors would rejoice.

As I turn the curve to my street, I notice how it is lined with trees to the west. I walk the remaining yards to my front door, and head to the shower to remove all traces of sweat. It’s gonna be a good day.

Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever. Psalms 23:6

Why am I thankful for this phase of life I’m in? There is power and freedom in a slow lifestyle. Living in a simple, half-forgotten village that seeks for relevance is not for everyone. It’s a quiet life that I’m loving. And I’m reminded each day on my walks that God is so, so good to me. I have so much to be thankful for. For many years I lived with the hustle and bustle of city living, full-time work and busyness. Retirement brings contentment and fulfillment in ways I never imagined. Life is good.

He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6

I love You, Lord
Oh, Your mercy never failed me
All my days, I’ve been held in Your hands
From the moment that I wake up
Until I lay my head
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

And all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

I love Your voice
You have led me through the fire
And in darkest night You are close like no other
I’ve known You as a Father
I’ve known You as a Friend
And I have lived in the goodness of God, yeah

And all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God, yeah!

‘Cause Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me
Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me
With my life laid down, I’m surrendered now
I give You everything
‘Cause Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me
‘Cause Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me
Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me
With my life laid down, I’m surrendered now
I give You everything
‘Cause Your goodness is running after (It keeps running after me)

And all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I’m gonna sing of the goodness of God
I’m gonna sing, I’m gonna sing
‘Cause all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I’m gonna sing of the goodness of God
Oh, I’m gonna sing of the goodness of God

~Bethel Music

The Goodness of Change

~ mercyfortheday ~ 1 Comment

The weather has been mild this past week. Aahhh. We say. The winter has been cold and any snow is too much for me, so I’m happy with the sunny warmer days. I’ve begun taking walks around this very small town of mine. I’ve never lived here in the springtime, so it will be interesting to see how well neighbors care for their properties. Oh. I’ve already decided that it would be very appropriate to start a beautification project in this small village, but I’m sure it might ruffle some feathers. I see many homes that need some sprucing up. There’s mildew on the exterior in some places. There are unruly leftovers from past gardens. I’ve spotted multiple vehicles that have never moved from their spot in the past six months I’ve lived here. And I’ve read that this village has a problem with feral cats, none of which I’ve seen.

Oh sure. I saw the American flag waving in the cool breeze, but I also spotted a couple of leftover political signs that should have been removed after the fall election. I noticed some boarded up windows in multiple houses, and I wonder what has happened to cause them to be vacant. Even a local church boasts the same look. In one home, the blinds have been drawn so no one can even get a glimpse of any movement in the house. I hear dogs barking in other houses as I walk past, but I see no one.

I passed a couple walking their dogs a few days ago, but they wouldn’t even look in my direction. I know they had to see me walking their way, but they gave not a hint of friendliness. Perhaps not everyone in this town is friendly. Or. Perhaps they’re just cautious about anyone unfamiliar walking their streets. It’s also the time of year that the golf carts start circling the country de sac where I live. Apparently, it will be an interesting first spring in this new home of mine.

As I move through the town, I’m pleasantly surprised to discover the brick sidewalks that line many streets. Some of the residents have kept these vintage sidewalks in mint condition, while others have allowed grass to cover them. If you didn’t know the bricks were in place in some areas, you would never even suspect what is below the surface. If only all the homeowners along those streets would uncover the bricks and let them shine. They’re a throwback to the days of old when this town was once a thriving place. I’m sure some homeowners aren’t interested in maintaining these unique reminders of the past, so they have allowed the bricks to be hidden. It’s a reminder that perhaps this small village is dying for a reason.

I have no idea of the history of this place. I wonder if the very small library holds information of the town’s humble beginnings. I see the empty and unused storefronts that once housed long ago closed businesses. I can just imagine the horses and buggies parked out front, but not many people walk this part of town any longer. Oh sure. There is a bank. And a post office. There’s a town hall and a seldom used funeral home. I’ve visited the antique shop that’s open two days a week. Oh. And there’s a bar that’s open each evening. I’ve also driven past the cemetery on the edge of town. And let’s not forget the corporate grain elevator that sends trains down the tracks at all hours of the night. Across the interstate, I can see two ugly solar farms. That’s someone’s idea of progress. But others have a differing opinion on the topic of those windmills. I see signs posted on the side of a barn and along the roadside sharing their thoughts on that sore subject.

Yet I am confident I will see the Lord ’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Psalms 27:13

I know of several homes in foreclosure in this town. Mine was one of those at this time last year. Fortunately, it’s been saved and we’re now called the proud owners. The house next door is in the same predicament. I think I spied a final walk through of the house one day this week. We’ll see what the future holds over there. It would be nice to have another set of good neighbors. So far, I’ve only met a handful of neighbors, and others wave as they drive past.

When we moved here six months ago, we had no idea what was in store for us. Aside from all the needed repairs to the house, living here has been a nice change of pace. Slowing down and settling in to a new home, village and church feels good. It still feels like we made the right decision to pack up and move two states over. At this point, I wouldn’t change a thing.

I know change can be hard, but at times it’s necessary and welcoming. At other times, change comes and it’s out of our control. We just have to roll with the punches. So far, this change hasn’t felt like a gut punch, but there have been some unpleasant finds with this home that we’ve had to weather. But life is good. And I foresee many more good days ahead.

Who knows. Trouble can come tomorrow, and we must know it’s always around the corner. But we shoulder through each day, because it’s the only one we’ve got. We’ll face tomorrow’s troubles tomorrow. Today has enough of it’s own. And even whether the sun is shining or not, God is always good.

Give thanks to the Lord , for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Psalms 107:1

And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 2 Corinthians 9:8

Kindness is Refreshing

~ mercyfortheday ~ Leave a comment

The apostle Paul wrote a personal letter to a fellow believer and friend, Philemon. Now Philemon was a slave owner in the times of the early church. Paul also mentioned Apphia and Archippus in the letter. Scholars have noted that these two were most likely the wife and son of Philemon. This family had a slave named Onesimus, who had run away from their home. This, of course, was very upsetting to the family for various reasons. And somehow in running from his master, Onesimus found his way to Paul. And Paul learned to love this runaway slave as his own son. Somewhere in his life, Onesimus had become a follower of Christ. Was it because of his master’s Christian witness, or was it from Paul’s?

But matters needed to be settled between the slave and his master. Onesimus couldn’t keep running forever, so Paul wrote to his friend Philemon with the hopes of making amends for this errant slave. No one knows why Onesimus ran away. Was he mistreated? Or misunderstood? Was he dishonest or difficult to work with? It could have been that he just longed for freedom. But in those days, punishment for a runaway slave was not pleasant.

Onesimus had wronged his master. But Philemon was known as a kind man. His reputation was one of kindness. So he must have been disappointed, to put it mildly, to find his slave had betrayed his trust. And now his friend Paul was asking him to accept Onesimus back in the spirit of kindness. Could he make amends with the one who had wronged him? Would he? 

I have to ask myself how I would treat someone who had publicly wronged me. Because it wasn’t as if losing a slave was a private matter. Word gets around when a slave goes missing. Some owners might bend to threatening their slaves in case they get the same idea and there’s a made rush for freedom. 

What is the proper thing to do if the slave comes back seeking restitution?

The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. Proverbs 11:25

Am I known for kindness? Do I always offer the hand of kindness when I have been wronged? Would my first instinct be to play the victim and then speak ill of the offender? Or would I instead speak of their positive traits that I appreciate? Would I dredge up all the inconsistencies I’ve seen in their life or share the good I witnessed? Would I keep my thoughts to myself or would I share every dirty secret I know about the traitor?

When I am remembered by others, what do they remember? Is it my sharp tongue? My art of putting others in their place? Or am I fondly remembered for my kindness? Do others consider the kind deeds I’ve performed in their time of need? Do they know of my goodness and not only my badness? Not that my reputation is of necessity, but as a known follower of Christ, how do I represent the one I claim to represent?

The thing is. Paul expected Philemon to kindly welcome Onesimus back home. Oh. Maybe there would be restrictions on his freedom. There would most likely be a time of testing. But it was clear that Paul’s expectation was that Onesimus would be welcomed with outstretched arms. Philemon’s reputation preceded him, as he was known for his deep faith in Christ. Paul knew Philemon’s faith was proven and true and that it had produced in him the fruit of the Spirit, one of which is kindness. Philemon bore the image of Christ. And didn’t Christ tell us to forgive others as we have been forgiven for our sins? So wouldn’t it be natural to expect Philemon to forgive his disobedient servant? He had shown kindness to others in times past. Why not now?

Oh. No one said it would be easy to forgive a wayward slave. But as one whose faith in Christ had matured, Philemon knew the value of forgiveness. He knew the saving work of grace in his life, so why wouldn’t he extend it to others? As the Holy Spirit had worked to trim the unproductive vines in his life, he had become a solid example of Christlikeness to others. Now he must act on it.

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another. Galatians 5:22-26

Are the fruits of my faith and love on display for others to see? Do others know that I’ll treat someone who’s wronged me with forgiveness? Or, do they wonder how I’ll handle this obstacle in my life? Am I consistent in my faith, or do I act on my feelings and fears? Do I hold a grudge, or do I hold my faith strongly? No one knows our hearts but God, until we act publicly on our heart’s leanings. Then our true nature is on display for all to see.

And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ. Your love has given me much joy and comfort, my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God’s people. Philemon 1:6-7

Hearts are unknown but to God, till overt acts discover them. Matthew Henry

Beauty, Truth and Goodness

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I’ve recently read that today’s culture is not interested in Christianity. And that thought saddens me. As I continued to read, the author said that we Christians, we believers in God, and readers of His word must make Christianity attractive to those who are not believers today. And the question is, how do we do that? How do we make faith in God, a life lived walking in the will of God, attractive to people who’ve never wanted that before? To people who’ve never known the need for salvation? How do we awaken that desire in someone who isn’t interested?

This author went on to talk about how our culture has lost beauty, truth and goodness. And he talks about how the art work of today is not beauty. When compared to the classic artists like Michelangelo, da Vinci, Monet, Rembrandt and others whose works were inspired by God, contemporary art seems to have no inspiration. And consider today’s music. Can it be described as beautiful and inspiring? Many of the lyrics are vulgar. The sound is pulsing and suggestive. When compared to the classics of Mozart, Chopin and other composers who were inspired to write the great musical masterpieces, beauty has disappeared. There’s a reverence to the classical music pieces. They are timeless. There’s a depth to the classical artwork that isn’t in modern art. Anyone can draw squiggles or splash paint on a canvas.

I find as I’m going about each day I have no interest in listening to the noise of today’s music, which causes anxiousness and annoyance. Instead, I find myself drawn back to the old hymns that we sang in church as a child. As I listen to the instrumental hymns, I could sit and weep. The beauty of the notes and the chords is calming in a world filled with chaos. Recalling the words of those old hymns takes me back to a much simpler time. When life for me was easy. It may not have been easy for my parents, but it was fulfilling for them. And now I’m finding fulfillment in things of my youth. On occasion, I find myself listening to classical music, which I find to be peaceful and inspiring. As I listen to the instruments of the orchestra. Play the different parts. The key and chord combinations strike me as inspired by God. For a composer to be able to create such depth for all the instruments to play in harmony is a God given craft. And we should be thankful that exists in our lifetime. That it has not been removed from our libraries and taken from us. Let’s awaken to the classics. Let’s enjoy them. Let’s be inspired as they move us from deep within. Let’s awaken to beauty in our life.

And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. Mark 12:30

I find that truth is missing in our lives today. When I think of the criminal and civil trials that we hear of in the news and the lies that have been spread in order to create interest, I cringe. We need truth today more than we’ve ever needed it before because we are being fed lies from so many different media and news sources. We need to know and seek the truth that only comes from reading God’s word and being able to parse out the lies of Satan. We need to get back to Biblical truths. God’s word will stand forever, regardless of what others say about it. Regardless of what others say about God. People can reject him. People can burn Bibles, but God’s word will always stand. The truth cannot be denied. There will come a day when we all stand before God and we will be held accountable for all of our actions and our words and our thoughts. If they do not match God’s Word, there will be eternal consequences. We will be rejected from his presence. Let’s pray for redemption and salvation, not rejection. We need to get back to the truth.

And then there’s goodness that is hard to find in our lives and in our culture. Shouldn’t we have a desire to live for something greater than ourselves? And don’t we know that this deep seated desire is given by God? We want our lives to matter. And we think that comes by doing good and giving back to others. And rightly so.

We are a broken people. We’re looking for wholeness. Wholeness brings a feeling of goodness to our lives. Peace. Self respect. Unity. We all long for it. But we’re only whole when we find God’s healing in our lives.

It’s time to reclaim the goodness of life. It’s time to appreciate the goodness of God’s love and gift of salvation that is freely offered to everyone who has breath. It’s time to reclaim the goodness and beauty of nature at its finest in the fall and winter and spring and summer. There’s goodness in each season of life. We must look for it. We can’t hide the goodness. We need to seek it out. And brush it off. Hang it on our walls. We need to shout the goodness of God.

Let’s be bold. Let’s stand for truth and goodness and beauty. Let’s let God’s love shine out this season in our hearts and in our lives, in our homes, in our families, in our workplace and in our relationships. Let’s stand for God’s truth, beauty and goodness. It cannot be denied.

Beauty, truth and goodness are deep longings of the heart, and they can only be fully explained through the lens of Christianity. In order to define Christianity as good, we must identify it as true and satisfying. And then we must see the world as Jesus sees it.

Deep within the human heart is the longing for the way it is supposed to be.

Paul Gould