When Hearts Overflow with a Good Thing

Life is good.

We've been back from Philadelphia for almost a week, but the experience there and the perspective we've had upon returning home have signified yet again how incredibly great life is.

It doesn't have to always be the big struggles we encounter or the great victories on the other side that show us how much we have to celebrate.  It reminds me of that bumper sticker that says, "Don't sweat the small stuff.  It's all small stuff."  It's catchy, and some things aren't necessarily so small, but it's the attitude of relaxed contentment that comes from casting our cares on our loving God and trusting Him in all things. 

During our trip, we were able to be with lots of family who love us and whom we love.  We were able to take time away as our own family unit and be together for almost an entire week.  We got to stay in a hotel where complete strangers took the time to wait on us and clean up after us.  We got to eat at a lot of wonderful restaurants where someone else prepared and served and cleaned up the meals.  We got to play an intimate role in the marriage of two people we love.  We got to play in the pool and hot tub with our kids.  We got to sleep in.  We got to shower the happy couple with gifts.  On a personal note, I got to live a sort of dream of mine and sing in a particular, out-of-my-comfort-zone style in a giant cathedral.  We saw a beautiful city, Philadelphia, in full-spring bloom with azaleas bursting forth colorfully, almost edibly.  We got to rest.  We got to dance.  And we got to dress up in really fancy clothes.

We came home refreshed and glad for the opportunity to celebrate with so many friends and family.  Really, at best, we were only sideline players in the big event.  It wasn't our event after all, but it's one we got to share.  Even so, we came home totally moved by the whole experience of being able to vacation together in such a way.  It reminded us of simple pleasures and the importance of feasting and celebration.  The time also provided ample opportunity for Yahweh to talk to us and share with us new and important revelation about who we are and what He has for us moving forward.  The new scenery was a great backdrop for some new perspective, and we came home different than the people who had left just a week prior. 

The simple pleasures of life are as important as the more complicated aspects.  And when our hearts overflow with a good thing, with His presence, with true joy, others can be touched out of that overflow.  We have enough for ourselves and enough to share.  Granted, our hearts can overflow with such goodness whether we've had such a great trip or not.  That's the incredible gift of the Holy Spirit.  But the trip and its blessings showed us in a new light what we already knew:  life is good. 

And we know that "every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows" (James 1:17).

I stand today, grateful.  Grateful that we serve a good God, not a vicious tyrant.  Grateful that He relishes true life and giving good gifts to His children, rather than being abusive or hateful.  Many people view God either as a distant Grandpa in the sky or as a never-pleased wielder of violent, unfair judgment.  Both views would be wrong.  I'm grateful, again, that He is good.  In His judgment and in His mercy, in His love and in His discipline, in His pushing us and in His giving us rest, He is good.

Because of Him, my heart overflows with a good thing.  And there's plenty to go around.