It's true 'ya know. It's true when the sun is shining and I'm lying in my hammock enjoying the breeze. It's true when the sky is dark and there are nothing but storms in sight. Sometimes His goodness feels like happiness, sometimes it feels like pain, as He opens wounds to heal. Sometimes His goodness looks like bright opportunities and hope for tomorrow. Sometimes it looks like waiting and trusting.
In C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia, Lucy voices the question I think we all really want to know: Is He safe? 'Course He's not safe! He's not a tame lion. But He IS good. Meaning that God is not someone who can be put in a box or controlled. He is God after all. His ways are so much bigger than ours, and the only way to live is by simply trusting in His goodness.
Recently I decided to begin compiling a kind of master list of meaningful verses, inspiring quotes, and encouraging words from friends that I've received lately. The thing that immediately struck me, was that I had something for almost every single day. Every day God had spoken to me, words of comfort and hope. It was a reminder that God is not silent (I just don't always listen). And He is good, so understanding of our needs and weaknesses.
Just now as I was searching for a quote above, I stumbled across this beautiful blog post (http://www.itakejoy.com/course-he-isnt-safe-but-he-is-good-he-is-not-a-tame-lion/). I love where she says
"You can’t just read God’s Facebook profile and suppose you can be close to His heart. To be near to His heart–understanding His heart, believing He really loves you, experiencing His personality, requires hours and hours of real life in His presence".
Understanding God's goodness requires understanding/knowing His heart. It requires a real, live relationship, something built on daily experiences (maybe even mostly mundane experiences). It's walking side by side through good times and bad, experiencing life, together.
My God is not tame, but He surely is good. I pray that as I seek to be with Him day by day, His heart of love and goodness will be more fully revealed, both to me, and in me.
