Goodness in Between

“Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.” ~ Psalm 116:7

Once when I was listening to the radio I heard the voice of an angry man asking a question that I’ve heard asked countless times before.  There have been books written about it.  We’ve all asked this question ourselves at one time or another. “Why do bad things happen?” On this particular day it was clear that no answer would suffice. The man speaking was unwilling to hear any answer at all.  His anger stood in the way of truly allowing for the opportunity to explore the question.

As he busied himself with argument and continuous questioning I realized that he wasn’t really seeking an answer.  He just wanted someone to listen to his tired heart.  He didn’t want to be subjected to the pain of whatever had caused him to ask this question in the first place.  He wanted to feel good again.

It’s this desire to feel good that fools most of us into thinking we know what goodness is. We long for what makes us feel good, the things that please our senses.  So we move forward step by step seeking to get from one good feeling to the next, hoping to swiftly and painlessly move past the bad things that happen in between.  I know I’m guilty. I forget that goodness exists even in the bad things – in the things that don’t feel good.  I fail to account for the good that God is doing as He refines, heals, grows, nurtures, and loves us through the darkness.

In times like we are living now, when we are surrounded by tragedy and suffering, it’s easy to ask “Where is God?”  It’s easy to point the accusatory finger at Him.  The harder questions come when life is going well and we are feeling good – where am I? Am I honoring Him with my words, my actions, and my life? Am I faithful to Him? Or am I too busy looking for the next thing to make me feel good? Thankfully God is not like us.  He doesn’t look for us only when we are on our best behavior and He doesn’t tear us down when we stumble. He doesn’t just do good works or create good feelings, He IS goodness.