The faith of others... and mine

I received a phone call today from a friend. Let me give you a little background on her... she has served the Lord through infertility, one wonderful adoption, a failed adoption, another failed adoption, a precious adoption of twin boys... only to lose one of them about a week or so after the adoption, the burial of that precious little boy, and the most recent... colon cancer. ALL by the ripe old age of 35. When I answered the phone, she said " I called to see if you know how GOOD God is ??... " "I'm sure you do... but I just want to tell you how good He is." She proceeded to tell me about the doctor changing her chemo, and now she only had one or two bad days.... not a week or two of bad days. She said that a friend from church had delivered pizza to her family for supper on Friday... she felt so bad that she couldn't even get off the couch. Within just a few hours of that.... she felt so much better. When she drove herself to church on Sunday... she saw her friend and asked if she had prayed for her when she left.... Her friend told her that she had prayed all the way home. She said... " I know that is what made me feel better.... I won't give this new chemo the credit.... I know it was God, and I am going to give Him the glory".

Her faith has amazed me over the years. I have watched her have her heart broken over and over. I have watched her bury a little boy that she so desperately wanted. I am now watching her go through colon cancer, surgery, and chemo. BUT I have never watched her waiver in her faith. NEVER. She is a solid rock... standing on THE Solid Rock. I only hope that I can shine for the Lord in troubled times like she has.

I started thinking about some of the reasons that I KNOW that God is good....

*** He used a painful time in my life to call me into a relationship with Him. God is so Good.

*** During a difficult time in my marriage, He restored my love for my Husband... and it continues to grow. God is so Good.

***He has given me so many opportunities to study His Word, to learn about Him, and to serve Him... to despite who I am without Him. God is so Good.

** He has so changed the desires of my heart... changing the things that I want and the way that I see things. God is so Good.

*** He has blessed me with a home that I can open to others to study His Word. AND... then He blessed me with my Tuesday night group. God is so Good.

*** He watches over my nearly 18 year old son as he drives... and I am sure that is no easy job. God is so Good.

** I have had the opportunity to home school for the last 6 years... the time spent with my children has blessed me so. Time I will never forget. God is so Good.

** He has also given me the peace and trust to follow His leading to send them to public school this coming year... despite my reasons to distrust... I have His peace. God is so Good.

** He has given me His peace in the middle of a huge financial crisis that continues to swirl around my family. God is so Good.

** He has put so many people in my life that encourage me in my walk with Him. God is so Good.

** He has blessed me with two daughters.... very different... but both mean the world to me. God is so Good.

** He has the desire to use me... to despite all of ME. Wow... God is so GOOD.


Hebrews 12:1b-2 "Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

I am going to continue to run the race... doing my very best to keep my eyes on Jesus. Because God is so Good. And He has been sooooo good to ME.