I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!
Wait for the Lord ; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord !
Psalms 27:13‭-‬14 ESV

Believe. That’s the word God has been impressing upon me these last few weeks. I am to believe all things are possible. I am to believe that I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

And I have. I have seen His goodness.

“But Katie?” someone who knows me might reply. “You’ve been fighting a virus since the beginning of February, your husband was sick for several days, and both your kids have been sick as well. You’ve had to miss work, lose sleep, and disinfect your house several times. And didn’t you just attend the funeral of an amazing, faithful woman of God?”

Why, yes. Yes, all of the above has happened. But I have still seen the goodness of God through it all. Those initial days I had a fever and began fighting the virus? My parents happened to be coming for a visit. Because of their presence I was able to rest more than usual, which in turn helped my ability to fight the virus. I was back on my feet faster than if I had still needed to entertain children, cook, clean and do all the other duties that accompany marriage and motherhood. I also saw His goodness when my parents made it to Florida without catching the virus I had. They spent three days in a house full of yucky germs and came away without even a sniffle. My mom certainly smelled like hand sanitizer, but she was still healthy.

Then last week when I had to stay home from work a couple of days because of a sick child, I finally took time to go through the mail. In doing so, I discovered an overlooked letter requiring immediate action. If I had not gone through the mail, the consequences could have been quite unpleasant. The second day  I was home, a couple of cows happened to escape through a hole in the fence. If I’d been at work, they might have wandered into the road, which could have been disastrous for them and for the unlucky driver who might have hit them. Then, when I couldn’t get the cows in on my own, my husband–who because of his own illness was unable to go out of town on a work trip– was able to come home and get them back in.  If he hadn’t been so sick the days prior, he would have been out of town and I’d have had two cows roaming our property. Oh, and that document that had been sitting in our living room for weeks in need of notary’s signature? Since my husband was around, I was home, and our sick child amazingly felt decent enough to go out, we were able to go to the bank and get the job done.

But what about the friend who passed away?  Well, seeing three generations of family all in love with Jesus and proclaiming the faithfulness of my friend was both humbling and inspiring.  God was with me during that funeral reminding me of why I am here.  Even in death, my friend had inspired me to keep the faith and to keep my focus on the author and finisher of my faith.

Sure, at first sight, most of the above circumstances of my week might have appeared negative rather than positive. Sickness, overlooked mail, missed work, and death don’t necessarily scream “God is with you.” Yet with the right focus, with the eyes of faith looking intently at my Savior, I clearly saw God through it all. He was with me during our crazy weeks of sickness. He was with me as we quickly resolved the unexpected issue brought about by the letter.  He was with me as I drove to and from our old hometown to say “see ya in heaven” to a dear Christian lady. And He is with me now as I write of His faithfulness.

God is with me. I believe it. I see it. I see Him.

God is with you, too. Do you believe it? Do you see it? Do you see Him? Or have you found yourself asking such questions as “How is God in this?” or “Where are you God?” Maybe life has taken an unexpected turn. Maybe life has just gotten a bit crazy and you’re not sure how to reign it in. Maybe someone has done something to you that caught you by surprise and cut you to the core.  Or maybe God is shining His light on a place within you that you’ve kept in the dark for years. Well, whether things seem to be going every way except the way you wish they’d go, or whether you are actually in a season of peace and tranquility, God is with you.

God doesn’t promise a life free of heartache and trouble, but He does promise to never leave us nor forsake us. Jesus Himself reminds us in Matthew 28:20, “…and lo, I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually–regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age” (AMP). 

God is with you, my friend. He is with you right now.  If you can’t seem to see Him in the big things, then look for Him in the little.  Find Him in that green light when you’re running a bit late. Find Him in that unexpected email or text of encouragement from a friend. Find Him in the grocery store when the items you need are all on sale. Find Him as you lay down your head to rest at night knowing His mercies are new every morning. Believe that you will indeed see His goodness in the land of the living.

And you will.