Good God, Good Food

Wednesday night the leaders of fall studies at our church had a little "Open House" to chat up our groups, answer questions, and sign people up to grow with us. I'm excited to be co-teaching a study on God's Covenants. God is good and does good. It's going to be rich! 



While standing at the table (okay ... I admit, I was leaning ... maybe drooping ...) a friend came over to chat. She wished me a happy bday and asked how I was. I gave her a nutshell version of Jeff's illness, the time at the doctor/pharmacy, and (I think she could tell without me saying ...) our lost sleep (Jeff does everything 100%, and coughing is no exception!).  As she listened sympathetically, she held her infant/5th child.


Without hesitating, she said, "Let me bring you dinner tomorrow!"  HER?? Bring ME dinner??  The woman with 5 kids/home schooling bring dinner to me who is just sending her 2 kids off to high school? I resisted. Strongly. She pretended like she gave up ... and then came back around. She won. She won, because she has ordered her world in such a way that she said she already had meals prepared in the freezer, and she would pull one out and give it to us. She said that meals had so blessed HER FAMILY when the baby came, and she was happy to bless in return. I can't overstate how blessed I was then ... and again at 5:00 last night.


Isn't it amazing how the gift of food lightens the load of a weary soul and nourishes the spirit, as well as the body? That's what her meal did for me, and I'm so thankful she considered sharing and serving and meeting a need important to her. I'm so glad that, despite all of the people and things in her OWN world, she took time to notice the need in someone else's world - my world. She blessed me.

Psalm 119:68 says about God, "You are good and do good."

Every good and perfect gift comes from our Heavenly Father, (James 1:17) and He often uses other people to be the vehicle of delivering those gifts. It's one of the ways He expresses His goodness and does good.

It's a temptation when things in my life are going well to forget or not notice those who are weary and in need of nourishment, spiritually or physically or relationally. Oh that God would keep us in enough need to keep our hearts soft to those who hurt. 

Tomorrow is the final day of my August S.O.S. project ~ Somalia On Saturdays. I hope you've taken the opportunity to slow down in the midst of your abundance and think, pray, and even give to those who are weary and in need of nourishment in Africa. The need grows. More die. People are crying out to God, and He may use us to deliver His goodness. I hope you'll join me tomorrow in a final day of S.O.S. It's not too late, if you haven't taken a day yet. And if you can't take all of the day, take part of it. Do what you can to show God's goodness. Maybe this is the time you should forward this post to a friend and use your influence to invite someone else to SOS with us. Who could you invite?  

We were hardly starving yesterday and definitely not in danger of death or attack, but I was so blessed by the gift of a meal ... and the tangible reminder that God is good and does good.

Yesterday's giveaway winner, chosen by Random.org  is Jenny C, which happens to be very sweet, since she is my sister. :) I'm going to say that might be more "divine" than "Random." :)

Today's giveaway is something so special, so I saved it for last. Since we've been in Psalms this month, I want to give away a copy of the One Year Book of Psalms. It has been a cup of cold water to my spirit many times, and I'm smiling to think of one of my sweet readers being encouraged by the pages. To enter, just leave a comment today or Saturday (I'll announce the winner Sunday) telling me one way God has given you a tangible reminder of how HE is good. It might be food, or it might be something else. Let's praise Him together!