The Goodness of God

He is kind.  And He is oh, so sweet.  Jesus has taken my hand and shown me good things in ways that blow my mind.  Absolutely blow my mind.

Tonight I met up with an old friend who began to spill out how the Lord had been so good to her, and had truly met her.  We talked about that realization that hits when you experience the touch of Christ after hearing about it for what may have seemed like a long time.  The similarities to the way God is moving in each of our lives is quite something...we both ended up working as "stage hands" in our respective ministries, and LOVING it.  

Friends, when I moved to Kansas City in June, my heart was in desperate need of something...be it rest, be it peace, I just knew I needed JESUS and I needed Him RIGHT THEN.  You see, last year was really, really, really hard for me.  There are ways my heart still feels all twisted up inside about everything, and those ways only really come up when I'm forced to face it (like being here visiting Chicago).  Suffice it to say, I was really looking forward to being refreshed by the Lord in Kansas City.  I was ready for my heart to have some peace.  And some rest.  To be free.  It ended up feeling a bit like a rumbling plane, beginning to barrel down the runway and smoothly begin to soar.

The soaring portion of it all is really because of the way Jesus met me.  He has refreshed my heart and poured out favor on me like nothing else.  I've received it, been blown away by it, been unbelieving of it (to which I felt a gentle reply: "Annie, I do good things for you.  Be okay with that" =)  I can.not. believe. the way Jesus plugged me in with TheCall.  It feels way too good to be true.  I love all the new friends I'm making, and I love being at the House of Prayer.  Going to church every Sunday is practically therapy.  It's like I could jump for joy and scream inside: "I'm with other Christians!  I'm surrounded by people who LOVE JESUS!!!!"

The nature of all this favor has surprised me, though.  The nature being the way that so much of it is physical.  It's really drawing outside the boxed lines of a "spiritual" relationship with God.  It's the part where He meets you in the way you didn't even know you needed to met.  It's the punch line where He gives you something good to show you just how GREAT He is.  

When I think about the way Jesus has been so faithful to meet and take care of my heart in the last four months, the words SWEET and TENDER come to mind.  Jesus is so sweet to us, to me.  I can't believe He met me like this.  I just can't believe it.  He is SO good, and SO faithful.  I want to say here: "Actions speak louder than words" because Jesus' actions towards me have proven those words "good" and "faithful" to my little heart.  Sometimes God calls to just soak in His love.  To spend some time trusting that He loves you because that's who He is...not because of what you do.  Sometimes His love is arms wrapped around you.  Sometimes it's a reassurance that He's right beside you.  Sometimes it's wind beneath your wings, causing you to soar in joy.

So, I want to shout it here on my blog.  I want to shout it inside me, I want to shout it to the world, I want to shout it to you.  Jesus is GOOD.  He is GOOD.  And that four-letter word hardly seems to come close to truly encapsulating or explaining this God who has met me with such sweetness, tenderness, and care.  I love Him.  And I encourage you to love Him.  Love Him with everything...with your pain, with your joy, with your success.  I promise you, He will show Himself to you.

PSALM 63:3    

"Because your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You."