As we all navigate these strange times, I know it’s often hard to feel like God is good. Oh, we may know that fact, but to actually feel it is hard…

On good days, yes. But what about when it all starts to take its toll, and we run out of margin… and let the mind go where it probably shouldn’t?

I don’t know what you do, but I try to remember all of the times I’ve seen God bring me through a rough period in my life. I could tell lots of stories of God’s faithfulness, and maybe someday I’ll write some of those down… but for now I’ll share just one.

When my first marriage ended (many years ago.. 1992) I remember going through some really deep depression… at first, I couldn’t sleep at night – then later I could hardly drag myself out of bed. Food had no taste, and it was difficult to simply do what need to be done. I remember at one point, I realized “do what comes next”. Get out of bed, use the restroom. Ok, now you have to have food to live, so eat something. Now… you kind of need a shower if you’re going out in public… so, take a shower…. Ok. get dressed. Make lunch. go to the car. Go to work. Make a list of what needs to be done. Do each thing as you come to it…

….and so on. I remember thinking “if I can just keep doing what needs to be done, one thing at a time, eventually I’ll get through this…”

Now, things aren’t that bad for me right now…. not by a long shot. Yes, I’m concerned, and like all of you, I have my moments of worry. But I’m fortunate that I’ve stayed busy enough that most times my mind is in a pretty good place.

There is one thing, though, that I remember from that season – a song I heard on the radio. I quote part of it here:

All things work for our good though sometimes we don’t see how they could.
Struggles that break our hearts in two sometimes blind us to the truth.
Our Father knows what’s best for us, his ways are not our own.
So when your pathway grows dim, and you just don’t see him,
Remember you’re never alone.

God is too wise to be mistaken; God is too good to be unkind;
So when you don’t understand, When don’t see his plan,
When you can’t trace his hand,
Trust his Heart.

• Babbie Mason

I remember hearing that song and sitting there just weeping… I didn’t have any idea how what I was going through could eventually “work out for good”.

I think I’m in a similar place right now – I often can’t see how this situation we’re in could ever “work out for good”….

Let’s be honest – this COVID mess isn’t God’s plan… it simply is a result of living in a fallen, imperfect world. Some of us – hopefully many – will make it through and come out on the other side. Some will have to go through some rough waters..

My encouragement – when you struggle to see God’s hand in this, trust God’s heart… no matter what our individual journeys are, God will give us strength and grace for each moment.

…and then when we come out on the other side, we will be able to say (in the words of a song we sing in our contemporary services) “What I sing on the mountain, I’ll sing in the valley – that God is always good”