Good, Good Father

So the road trip is underway.  There’s a lot to catch this little blog up on, or maybe not, but for now, this is the place to share God’s goodness.

We’ve been on the road for two months and landed in Durango, Co yesterday.  This last week we’ve driven from North Texas through New Mexico and up into south western Colorado.  It’s been a busy week of work, mind blowing scenery, and the overwhelming presence of God’s goodness.

While the trip’s primary purpose is about meeting many of our customer’s face to face, we also aim to make Jesus look good.  We pray before each and every meeting that we will shine God’s light wherever it needs to fall.  Jeff is far better at this than I, bringing Him into each and every conversation we have with a customer or vendor.  And this week, in one meeting, as Jeff brought Jesus into the conversation, the customer we were meeting with reached over on his desk and picked up his budget for the year.  He then proceeded to tell Jeff that he had a million dollars to spend on equipment this year and then told us exactly the equipment he would be looking for.

Now, by no means does this mean a million dollars in our pockets.  And NEVER, do we want Jesus to be a marketing campaign, but as soon as we got in the car Jeff said, “Did you see what just happened in there?”  Totally.  Roger that.  In the one sentence, that Jeff threw out there, out of obedience, Jesus shined His light on us.  He’s a Good, Good Father.

We have certainly stepped out on a limb here with this little trip of ours.  It’s expensive for one. And we’re missing our friends, family and church.  But He continues to show up and show off for us and it is beyond humbling.

In a random coincidental situation, we have five customers in the small town of Durango, Colorado and a dear friend, Sue Croom, who was a tireless volunteer when I was with Habitat.  Durango was on our short list of towns to get to as soon as possible.  In addition to getting to know Sue well at Habitat, we also attended the same  Episcopal church in Vero so it was a no brainer for me that I wanted to go to church with her in her new town.

We got into town mid afternoon yesterday (Saturday) and planned to join her for the Saturday night service at her new precious, mountain Methodist church.  She’d been telling me how great her preacher was and we were locked and loaded for going with her. Shortly after we arrived though, we realized he wouldn’t be preaching.  A young intern would be.

And honestly, we were both a bit bummed.  You know, kind of like when you’re all psyched up for a solid service and it’s “youth Sunday”.  There is always a place for services like that, please don’t get me wrong, but it was a bit of a womp, womp moment after a bit of build up for us.

But God.

But God is a Good, Good Father.  And this young  preacher girl, a soon to be college graduate, heading into the mission field and then on to seminary, delivered a sermon that screamed of God’s goodness to me.

Back in December, we were charged by our pastor to choose a word for the upcoming year to pray and meditate on.  The word that kept coming to my mind was “unity”.  Seeking more unity in our marriage and with God, independently and collectively, as a couple, I chose unity as my word.  Jeff’s word was, “follow”.

Going into this year, where it’s the two of us and Jesus, let me tell you, there’s quite a bit of unity and with no real plan as to where we’re going or what we’re doing, a lot of seeking to “follow” wherever God leads.

And in the craziest of ways, He shows us that we have, indeed, followed Him to exactly where He wants us to be, when this sweet little girl preaches a message on nothing less than Unity.  I mean.

But God.

But God raised the bar from there.  AS IF, that little sermon wasn’t enough.  It was also the one week out of the month when this little mountain church celebrates communion.  As a recovering Episcopalian, my heart did a little leap when we walked in and saw the bread and the wine.

We don’t do traditional churches very often anymore and our non-denominational church celebrates communion far less than I would chose, so after feeling Jesus’ sweet hand on my shoulder during the service with the sermon on Unity, words can hardly express how sweet it was to kneel at that railing with my dear, dear friend on one side and my precious husband on the other.  He’s a Good, Good Father.

As if all of this wasn’t enough, as if God’s seeing handiwork in the majesty of this country on this trip isn’t enough, just this week, I have had two additional absolutely mind blowing opportunities.  And I don’t deserve an ounce of it.

I’m a sinner, I have gross habits and an ugly heart, and yet He is absolutely showering His blessings on me.  And honestly, I’m struggling with it.

And all that I know to think on the matter is that He is a Good, Good Father.

“Good, Good Father”, by Chris Tomlin has been downloaded a bazillion times or so on Spotify, so  I know I’m not the only one who has been touched by the lyrics, but this week they have just been laid on my heart.  I am so humbled by how God is loving me right now, on us, really.

And I know it’s not just right now. . . it’s all the time. . .  but in this season of absolutely ridiculous blessing upon blessing upon blessing, there is no other explanation than that He is a Good, Good Father, and that I am loved by Him.

It is who I am.

I hope you’ll take a minute and click on the link below to listen to the song.  Because you too are loved by this Good, Good Father.  And whether or not it feels like it at this moment. . . loving YOU, like He is loving me at this moment, IS HIS character.  It’s who He is, and He is calling you, and me, deeper still.

Good, Good Father by Chris Tomlin