Friday Thoughts... The Goodness of God

Lately I've been thinking a lot about God's goodness. I'm so grateful God's goodness is not dependent on how I feel. I'm thankful his goodness and character are not tied to my circumstances. In fact, I'm glad his goodness is not tied to ANY circumstances.

Imagine if it was. Think about it, we're rolling along in life enjoying success after success - God must be good right?! Then one day - BAM! IT hits the fan, life gets hard - as it inevitably does - and then we think, why is God no longer good? What a rollercoaster ride! I see why people choose to be athiests. I mean, why go through life trying to work through that mind-bender when the easier thing to do would be not even believe in the first place.

Lets face it - THIS IS THE QUESTION - IS GOD GOOD?

I mean really, how can God be good in the kind of world we live in. A world full of suffering, death, pain, etc. Where is the goodness in that?

That's the hang-up - the whole suffering thing.

I read a lot of techie-type message boards. (Geeky I know) Either way, sometimes I find myself in the political/religion forums. It's very interesting to see the many points of view about God, Jesus and his followers. It's good reading. I constantly see where people write sarcastically about how Christians will always say "God's goodness/loving Father" and so forth. They laugh and mock statements like this because they seem ridiculous. They question why would a loving God allow a 14 year-old girl to be sold into sex-slavery and raped many times a day for years.

I get it. It's a valid question.

So how can I say God is good?

How can you?

Or would you?

I just don't understand. And there it is.

I don't understand.

I mean, how can the created understand the creator? What if we knew that on the other side of this reality we call life was something so amazing, so wonderful, so comforting and Holy that we cannot wrap our minds around it. Maybe after death there is a PEACE so great that makes leaving this world of suffering worth it. Maybe eternity really is real, and our time on earth is just a fraction of a fraction of a second in the grand scheme of things. None of us know for sure.

We can chose to have faith and believe there is a greater purpose, a plan to redeem the suffering and pain. We can also choose to believe that the trials and hard times are meant to create a deeper character and strength we can call on in the future. The hard times grow us in ways the good ones never do.

OR, we can choose to believe that all this is random - luck, a coincidence. Suffering sucks and there really is no point, we are alone and there is no "greater" purpose in it. No one is looking over us, no greater being has a vested interest in us. We're just here for our 70, 80 maybe 90 years - and that's it.

I look at the story of John Walsh, the guy from America's Most Wanted. His son Adam was kidnapped and beheaded in 1981. Through this horrible, horrible experience John vowed that no other family should have to go through what his did.

The pain, the suffering and the anger did not destroy him. Walsh went on to create and host a show that has been responsible for putting THOUSANDS of sick people behind bars. No telling how many lives Walsh is responsible for saving.

For me personally, I choose to believe God is good - that he has a plan, and even though I don't always get to understand his plan - He's still good. My faith in his goodness gives me hope - it gives me strength to keep moving forward when IT hits the fan.

I leave you with this scene from Signs with Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix.

Gibson's character to Phoenix ::

People break down into two groups. When they experience something lucky, group number one sees it as more than luck, more than coincidence. They see it as a sign, evidence, that there is someone up there, watching out for them. Group number two sees it as just pure luck. Just a happy turn of chance. I'm sure the people in group number two are looking at those fourteen lights in a very suspicious way. For them, the situation is a fifty-fifty. Could be bad, could be good. But deep down, they feel that whatever happens, they're on their own. And that fills them with fear. Yeah, there are those people. But there's a whole lot of people in group number one. When they see those fourteen lights, they're looking at a miracle. And deep down, they feel that whatever's going to happen, there will be someone there to help them. And that fills them with hope. See what you have to ask yourself is what kind of person are you? Are you the kind that sees signs, that sees miracles? Or do you believe that people just get lucky? Or, look at the question this way: Is it possible that there are no coincidences? 

Thoughts?

Miracles Happen (Part 2) :: Everything Changes

Part 2 :: A continuation of Ericka's blog post I shared here yesterday.

 

Difficulty is the very atmosphere of miracle - it is miracle in its first stage. 

If it is to be a great miracle, the condition is not difficulty but impossibility.

L.B. Cowman - Streams in the Desert

Yesterday, I left us in quite a predicament. I shared with you how we (my husband and I) were struggling with the fact that we were always traveling, and how unhealthy and difficult it was for us relationally. I told you how we needed to move - but couldn't afford to. We knew the best thing for us, and our non-profit, would be to relocate to the South, but it just seemed impossible!

The truth is... we probably should have quit. We were on course to make only $20,000 this year. TOTAL. For the two of us together! It seemed ridiculous. Both of us have college degrees and fantastic resumes after all! My husband is an award winning news and sports anchor who used to work for the top TV station in Arkansas. If he just went and got a "real job" - then all our financial worries would be over!

But we couldn't quit. When a friend of mine asked me why we couldn't quit, I told her the honest truth. The children we care for overseas in Thailand, Swaziland, and India need us. Sure, we could walk away from this and quit making all these ridiculous sacrifices.... we could live very comfortable lives. But those kids can't quit poverty. They can't quit the sex industry. They can't quit AIDS. They don't get to stop suffering just because they choose to.

And neither would we. We wouldn't quit because they couldn't quit. We wouldn't give up this work - caring for these kids, empowering them, educating them, and equipping them to QUIT POVERTY - to break OUT of the cycle of poverty and disease and lack of opportunities - we wouldn't give up until their lives were changed! We talked about it together as a couple and we made some decisions. We knew that with only $20,000 of income, within a few months we would not even have enough money to put food on the table and pay the bills anymore. But we told God - we would give it our all. We would go "all in" - and we would take The Sound of Hope as far as we could take it for the kids. And when we didn't have a cent left, then we would quit and get "real jobs". OR - He could show up, and we would continue the work.

It sounds crazy when I see it typed out like that. Who in their right minds would make that kind of deal with God?! But it didn't seem crazy at the time. And honestly, it wasn't some kind of ultimatum for the Creator of the Universe. I have known, from the very first moment we started The Sound of Hope, that it was God's dream.... and I have known, deep down, in the depths of my being, that it would succeed. In every moment of sacrifice, when it would be easier to quit - I knew I could never live with myself if I did. This is what I was meant to do - and I would not be disobedient... no matter the cost. Even if things seemed impossible.

But then, everything changed.

Suddenly, 4 of our monthly supporters decided to double their monthly support. One by one - without our request - they contacted me to let me know they wanted to give more. Then, 3 new people contacted us wanting to support our administrative needs (which help pay our salary). Momentum was building!

And then, last week, an incredibly large donation was made to The Sound of Hope. A donation that changed everything. A donation that renewed our faith, and renewed the hope of our partners overseas. A donation that would save lives in Thailand, and India, and Swaziland.

Because of this donation, we were able to get two of our little girls in India to the specialists they needed to see.

Because of this donation, two un-usable vehicles that the staff in Swaziland needs to get food to the carepoints, and to get the sick to the hospital, are going to be repaired.

Because of this donation, a community garden is going to be built in Swaziland, where the most poverty-stricken people can grow healthy food to sustain their families. And the best part is, the food will be shared with the orphans and vulnerable children who desperately need more than just rice and beans.

Because of this donation, 60% of The Promised Land Project has been funded, and we are so much closer to beginning construction. This Children's Home is going to protect little girls from being sold into sex slavery, and little boys from becoming child soldiers. Because of this donation, they will get to keep their innocence.

And, because of this donation - and because of all our monthly donors continuing to give - and because of those new donors, and the donors who doubled their monthly giving...

We are going to be able to MOVE!!!! 

We will still be on a tight budget, and (as always) we are still dependent on God to provide. But - with this drastic change in our income, we will actually be able to pay rent (above $300 a month) and can begin looking for a home in Birmingham, AL!!!

And of course, when we move down South we will be in a much better place for us, for our family, and for our business.... so - we won't be quitting any time soon! It is quite evident that God has BIG PLANS for us and for The Sound of Hope! He is a good God, and He will care for His children. That is a FACT. We need not fear the economy, for He promises that -

In times of disaster they will not wither; 

in days of famine they will enjoy plenty. 

- Psalms 37:19

And we are living proof of that!

God gets ALL the GLORY for what has happened this month, and I can say with some certainty that He is not done yet! I know He is going to continue to provide - we just have to continue being obedient. I can't wait to see what He will do next!

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, 

according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory 

in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

- Ephesians 3:20-21

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*If any of you reading live in the Birmingham, AL area and know of a home that might be available for rent,  please contact me at erickabennett (at) gmail (dot) com. I'd be glad to tell you specifically what we're looking for and what our budget is. We would love any connections or advice you might have!

Miracles Happen (Part 1) :: Life on the Fringes

Ericka wrote this blog and posted it over on her site. She does such a great job of explaining what we've been through recently that I wanted to post it on this blog so you guys can check it out. God is VERY good and He's been at work BIG TIME! 

We've traveled a lot since we got married. Living far away from family means a lot of trips home, and when our supporters/donors are down South, it means even more trips for work. Add in the fact that our work takes us overseas too, and it's easy to understand why we travel a lot. But this year - it's been worse than ever. We've been home, living in our house, sleeping in our own bed, for 4 weeks today. That's the longest we've been anywhere all year.

Since Christmas, we have been "on the go". We started the year by traveling back to Michigan from the South (where we'd been for the holidays). Then we were off to Thailand (where we traveled continually for the full 3 and 1/2 months we were there), back to Michigan for 2 weeks, to Alabama for a family wedding, over to the Grand Cayman Islands for a family wedding, back to Alabama for work, back to Michigan, back to Alabama for my grandfather's 80th birthday, to Georgia for work, to Mississippi for work, to Arkansas for work, to Tennessee for work, and then back again to Michigan.

Are you tired yet?

Well, listen to this. I have not been able to actually unpack and put away our suitcases since Christmas 2010... that is, not until about the 2nd week of July.

When we came home from our last trip, (July 3rd), I counted up a few figures from our year. According to my estimates (ie - what I can remember) here is a glimpse of what life has been like for us in 2011:

• From January 1, 2011 to July 3, 2011 - there were 184 days. Of those 184 days, we only slept in our bed 39 nights.

• During those 6+ months, we slept on 26 different beds, 2 air mattresses, and spent 1 night on the ground in a tent in Thailand.

• The longest we were any one place at one time was 16 days.

• We have spent time in at least 25 different cities, 9 states, and 5 countries. 

• We logged over 20,000 airmiles - which equals around 50 hours in planes. To put that into perspective, that's over 6 (8 hour) workdays.

• We spent over 150 hours traveling by car. To put that into perspective, that's almost 19 (8 hour) workdays. And I should add, that "regular time" in the car (trips to the grocery store, etc) were not counted. The trips that were counted were only those that were an hour or longer at one time.

As you can imagine, we are tired. But - more than being tired... we are lonely.

With this kind of lifestyle, there is no way for us to have healthy relationships with anyone but each other. We don't really belong anywhere. We aren't really missed anywhere.....because we aren't in one place long enough to leave a void when we are gone. We don't have regular communication with anyone - because we aren't a regular part of anyone's life. And keeping up long-distance relationships, when all you have is long-distance relationships, is pretty much impossible.

It's no one's fault really. When we are down South we are only there long enough to meet a friend for a quick lunch or a coffee break. That's hardly time to have a heart to heart or really catch up with anyone. When we are in Michigan we're only here for a few weeks... and that's hardly enough time to get settled back into a routine - much less become a regular part of other people's lives.

It's a terrible reality, and it's been wearing on us a lot this year. We seem to be living our life on the fringes of everyone else's..... never in one place long enough to plant roots.... unable to find that sense of belonging. We've become "drifters" of some sort, and that's just not what we were made to be. The lack of relationship has not been good - not for our emotional health, not for our marriage (after all, I need girlfriends! and my husband needs guy friends! All of our relational needs are not met by each other.), and not for our spiritual lives (I'm a firm believer that we need to walk through life in community with other people, and we have definitely not had any of that lately).

We knew there was a problem.... but, how could we fix it? The logical reasoning was simple - if we were spending half of our time traveling down South for work and for family, then it would make sense for us to relocate! If we'd just move down South, then half of our travel time would disappear! We'd be able to have a "home base" in the area where all our donors, supporters, and personal networks were located, and as an added bonus, we would also be closer to our families. After all - we'd moved to Michigan for Rusty to work in The World Race office, and not only was he no longer employed with The World Race - but that office had closed and all our coworkers had moved away!

But here is where we hit our dead end. Since we started a non-profit in one of the worst economic recessions in history.... and since we live in an area of Michigan with 30% unemployment.... our finances were lacking. The place we live now (a 3 bedroom house) only costs us $300 a month in rent (totally a "God thing"!) and with our current income we could not afford any more than that. Moving seemed impossible.

Unless....

One of two things had to happen. Either - #1 - God had to provide a free or cheap house ($300 or less per month) for us to rent down South. - OR -  #2 - We needed some seriously large donations to start coming into our non-profit The Sound of Hope.

But both of those options sound crazy..... right?