Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Psalm 34:8 (CSB)

I’ve been looking for goodness — for that which is sweet, good for the soul, joyful, and light — for God’s goodness in everyday, ordinary places. In a new month of the first new year of a new decade, with days full of possibilities and hope, it only seems right to be on the lookout for good.

What I’ve found is that goodness is everywhere — all around, all the time, in all the places — especially when we’re looking for it.

We just celebrated my niece’s first birthday, where I held my two-month-old nephew and my kids played with my siblings’ kids. Cousins! I see God’s goodness in the snuggles, the cousins growing up together, the late-night texts from my sisters with parenting questions, the pure sweetness of new babies. In a world that still holds cousin playtime, first birthday parties, and that delicious baby smell, there is still good.

I’ve been making soup this winter. When the temperatures dip below zero, it’s time to drag out the stoneware, dutch oven, and slow-cooker. My knife finds a rhythm in slicing vegetables, my ears love the sizzle of browning meat, and my heart gives a leap as I shake seasonings into the pot and suddenly the soup is more than single ingredients standing alone. Add a fresh loaf of crusty-on-the-outside, squishy-on-the-inside bread and a green salad on the side, and dinner on a cold winter’s night is ready. The satisfaction of cooking is a motivator for me, and the joy it brings me to set a nice table and welcome my family around it is palpable. In a world that holds tables to gather around, family to break bread with, and meals to be made, there is still good.

Daily, I dig into my laundry pile. I sort whites and bright colors, add detergent, and swish-swash goes the washer. I vacuum up dog hair fallen from our Christmas morning puppy. I load the dishwasher, unload the dishwasher, and load it up again, full of dishes on which meals and snacks were served and enjoyed. I pick up tiny toys and stack books on shelves and go to the store for shampoo and bananas. I check in with family via texts, keep the calendars up to date (paper for me, electronic for my husband), and place books on hold at the library. I plan meals and turn in my hours for work and collapse into bed at the end of the day, thankful for each task ticked off my to-do list and asking for help to finish the leftovers. In a world that holds housekeeping tasks and teems with minutiae-managing, there is still good.

Once a month I meet with friends for “book club.” We do choose a book, and most of us read most of it. But really we gather for fellowship, to laugh and to cry, to eat cheese and chocolate, sip wine, and laugh together. I use the Voxer app every single day to talk to my best friends who live all over the country. We talk Enneagram and books, marriage and kids, writing and blogging and social strategies, hurts and fears and prayer requests, silly stories and laundry tips. In a world that holds friends and book clubs, there is still good.

I sit at my computer, typing out words and creating emails. I check blog posts, attend video meetings, work with our team to plan out marketing topics. I pray over each word published and emailed. I gather stats and help coordinate details and plot future book launches. This work I’m blessed to do feels like my sweet spot — ministry + business + writing. In a world that holds work that brings deep joy, there is still good.

God, who loves us as much as He did on day one, makes all things work for the good of those who love Him. He thinks of us constantly, more than there are grains of sand. He created the heat of summer, the colors of autumn, the glittering snow of winter, and the newness of life in spring. He went to the grave and back for us, for me and you. In a world overflowing with reminders of God’s love, there is still good.

Walking to school. A thought-provoking sermon at church. Fresh-fallen snow. The width and depth of the ocean and warmth of the sun. The crisp pages of a new, blank journal. A hot latte. A letter from a friend. Daisies growing out of a sidewalk crack. Your children, friends, and family. A verse in Scripture that speaks straight to your heart. Goodness isn’t hard to find, especially when you’re on the lookout.

May you see the goodness of the Lord, right there in your everyday (which is really anything but ordinary).

Tell me, where do you see the goodness of God?

 

[bctt tweet=”Goodness isn’t hard to find, especially when you’re on the lookout. -@annaerendell:” username=”incourage”]

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