Believing in His Goodness

Holding India @ Galilean Children's Home - she was only a few weeks old in this picture.

     As 2015 begins, I begin with another blog. Something that has long been on my heart...... to share the love of my Lord by recounting His faithfulness: in my own life and from the pages of history. As this year begins, we naturally look forward to all those empty calendar pages with thoughts on what will fill those days, those moments. We wonder if momentous occasions will actually be memorable..... if dreams will become reality..... if reality will meet our expectations. And no matter how much we tell ourselves that life is not like a book, we find ourselves believing in the idea that life will meet - and perhaps succeed - our expectations. And when we find ourselves in the midst of a difficult or painful situation, we lose hope..... we stop believing. In those moments, there is an answer: the only Truth that remains constant, remains true, and can actually hold our belief is He who loved us so much, He gave His life to prove it.
     Last year (2014) held many ups ......but also downs. It began with my heart quite heavy. Pain is never easy to bear. Don't get me wrong here. This year brought so many opportunities and joys, but also held days of despondency and confusion. I found myself digging deeper into His word for answers. How do we handle disappointment and confusion?  As I began to contemplate the coming year (2015) I was reminded of an incident that happened in 2009 while I volunteered at Galilean Children's Home in Kentucky. It was a particularly stressful time - we were short on staff/volunteers and those of us who were there, were stretched thin. I always enjoyed my work there, but the tiredness was beginning to take it's toll. (I'd worked 3 midnight shifts in addition to 3 regular shifts in six days.) I read Psalm 27 in my devotions one evening and verse 13 stood out:
     "I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living."
     Feeling somewhat overwhelmed physically at that point, I could relate. And the implication was clear: if we don't trust..... if we don't believe........ if we don't HOPE in the goodness of the Lord.... that we will SEE the goodness of the Lord, we will despair. Being reminded of this affirmation from years past brought a thrill of joy to my heart. We must hope to see His goodness or we will despair.
     A goal for this year? To hope in...... to believe in...... to gain strength from..... His goodness. And the following verse of Psalms 27 tells us how:
     "Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait , I say, on the LORD. "