Goodness, God, What are you up to?

Do you celebrate God’s goodness?
God’s goodness doesn’t look like I wanted thought it would.

Like you, I’ve had several commissionings from God.
He called me to be his own.
Hurrah!
He called me to be a wife.
Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah, hurrah.
He called me to be a mom.
Hip Hip Hurrah!
He called me into the workforce.
Hurrah!

Even when faced with obstacles and obstinance,
I embraced those callings with alacrity and joy.

Now… 

I KNOW God has called me to a ministry of writing and speaking.

I KNOW God has commissioned me to
proclaim his name and
teach his Word.

BUT,

My calendar has lots of unbooked open spaces.
Publishers are not clamoring for my next project.

In this new calling as an author and speaker,
I’m running into road blocks and detours.

I have to remind myself of God’s goodness.

I have to be deliberate to find his goodness in
my home, my health, and my calling.

I look to the Bible for hope and inspiration and I find
that God doesn’t promise fame and/or fortune to me.

He simply asks me to trust him and to be
faithful with his call on my life.

Even when I don’t understand.
Even when I want to know more.
Even when the outcome looks bleak.

And I question.

Not the call.
Of that I am confident.
I question his goodness.
I question if he will be faithful.
I question what this call will yield.
I question if “Well done!” means successful.
I question whose definition of successful I should use.

Mine?
Or God’s?

Do you need a reminder that God is worthy of your trust?
Look no further than your Bible.

Noah was called to build an arc to escape the coming flood.
He trusted God for 120 years.

Abraham was promised an heir, but got old waiting.
He trusted God for 25 years before he got his son Isaac.

Joseph was kidnapped, sold into slavery, falsely accused, and imprisoned.
He trusted God for 13 years before saving his family from starvation.

Moses was called to lead the nation of Israel to freedom.
He trusted God through TEN plagues.

David was called to be king.
He trusted God for 25 years before taking the throne.

Mary was called to birth our Savior, Jesus.
She trusted God through the gossip and the fear of being stoned.

Paul was called to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
He trusted God for decades
Even when shipwrecked, stoned, beaten and humiliated.

Men and women in the center of God’s will and calling
were met with opposition, ridicule, torment and anguish.

But they didn’t stop proclaiming God’s goodness.
And neither should we.

Trust him or fail him.
Those are the choices.

I can trust him for
the timing
the provision and
the protection
until I see the fullness of his faithfulness.

Or, I can quit on His calling.
Circumvent his plan.
Foil my future.
Miss out on experiencing His pleasure.

As for me and my house? 

I choose to trust Him.
Even if it means repeating, 

“I trust you, God. I trust you, God. I trust you, God. I trust you, God,”

until the anxiety, worry, fear, or sorrow subsides.
Ten thousand times a day if necessary.

You may need to do that, too.
When your baby goes off to kindergarten or college.
You can say,”I trust you, God.”

When you get the promotion or the pink slip.
You can say,”I trust you, God.”

When the diagnoses is benign or malignant.
You can say,”I trust you, God.”

When all is well or the well is dry.
You can say,”I trust you, God.”

Though we may not always see the outcome.
We can always trust God’s goodness towards us.

May God’s goodness and His faithfulness to be obvious and magnanimous to you.

Scripture Refresher:  But I trust in you, Lord;
    I say, “You are my God.” Psalm 31:14 NIV

Prayer:  Though I am afraid and may falter, God, be with me and assure me of your goodness so that I may trust you all my days and in all my ways.