8

Nathan, my eight year old, will tell me I am the best mommy in the world when I do something he hopes I will do. If I give him an extra 5 minutes at bedtime I am the best mommy in the world. If I give him Robux for no reason I am the best mommy in the world. The irony is I am not the best mommy in the world when I ask him to do something he doesn’t want to do. I have never said “time to clean your room” and heard him reply “you’re the best mommy in the world.” 

There is no doubt he loves me. However, I am only the best mommy in the world when it suits him. Though I am far from perfect I try earnestly to make every decision with his best interest in mind whether he understands it or not.

When I tell him to clean his room his child’s mind doesn’t see the patterns I am trying to help him establish. He doesn’t understand the task is only partially about a clean room. It is about responsibility, discipline, and doing the right thing even when he doesn’t feel like it. 

How often do we treat God the way my eight year old treats me? We say God is good when something goes our way. When we get the job we want or a loved one is no longer sick or a marriage has been saved God is good. But what about when we don’t get the job or our loved one dies or our marriage is lost? Is God still good? 

I need to get out of the mindset that God is good when He does what I want. God is always good. 

My child was born with special needs. God is good. 

The doctors tell me he may not survive the brain injury and the next 24 hours are crucial. God is good. 

I found my first husband dead from a self inflicted gunshot wound. God is good.

There is cacophony in my mind to read those sentences combined but not in my soul. I can and should yet say God is good in every circumstance, every trial, every victory, every defeat. 

Like my 8 year old son I don’t always understand why. I wish hardships and challenges could just not be mine and the One who yields the power to change the course of direction does not. Whether it is His divine plan or the result of free will there are some things, difficult and seemingly impossible things, we must endure. God doesn’t author hardship but He will use it. 

God is good.

I lost my job…God is good.

My spouse left… God is good.

I can’t pay the rent…God is good.

The second half of those sentences bring light and hope to the first part. It helps negate the natural propensity for my perspective to be that of an eight year old. God isn’t just the best Father when things go my way or when life is easy. I would argue it is precisely during the hard seasons He shows us how truly and powerfully He is the best Father if we would just position our thoughts and actions to believe it and our faith to see it.