God is good.
Shanda and I talk often about how much we have to be thankful for, even in the midst of this evil cancer and nasty chemotherapy. And it has been good spiritual exercise for me to focus on God’s goodness during these times. In Philippians 4:8, Paul reminds us, “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”
So I have decided to write “GIG” notes relatively often. Your other suggestions for titles were very good. (Andy, I almost went with “Doxologies” or “Dox Notes” because I thought it would make me sound like I knew some theology or something.) But “GIG” is a simple and practical reminder (mostly to myself) that I have so much to be thankful for. God is indeed good.
However, when I declare that God is good, I am making a declaration, not an argument. It is a statement of fact, not of logical analysis. It is proclamation of faith, not an evaluation of character. Is that confusing?
If each of my GIG notes was nothing but blank space, God would still be good. If I my faith in Jesus brought nothing but earthly pain and misery, God would still be good. If I was completely blind to all things true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, good, and excellent, God would still be good. So my GIG notes are not to be read as lawyer’s arguments. God’s goodness evidence #1, God’s goodness evidence #2, God’s goodness evidence #3….. see, we conclude from the evidence that God actually is good. Rather, my GIG notes are like my field notes on a journey. I want to document evidence of God’s goodness that I already know is there.
That may not make a lick of sense to anyone else but me. But that’s OK – God is still good.
My first GIG note is already half-written in my head. I wish I could share it with you now, actually. But I’ve gotten good news today – I am being discharged home from round 2 this evening. So I am getting my things together and waiting for the doctor to stop by. Yes, yes, I know getting to go home counts as a GIG. It just wasn’t the GIG I had planned on writing. These 5 days at the hospital have been uneventful – and let me tell you that’s exactly what you hope for during chemo. I’m looking forward to time with my family, seeing my boys reaction to my shiny bald head, eating some regular (non-hospital) food, and sleeping in my own bed. I can’t express enough my gratitude for your support and prayers!!
God is good!
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
.
Dr. Aaron A. New
Associate Professor of Psychology and Counseling at
Central Baptist College
Posts
Popular Posts
- Tumor Rumor
- A Day in the Life...
- From the Foxhole
- On Sleep and Sovereignty
- My First Chemotherapy Epiphany
- Why?
- A Place for Everything...
- Butchers and Baby Bottles
- 2008 Predictions
- More on Huckabee and Copeland
- Huckabee and Copeland: Guilt by Association?
- I'm Failing All Calvinist Students
- Psychology and the Sufficiency of Scripture, I
- Arkansas Assimilation
- The Goal of Higher Education, II
- Jim Jones and Jesus
- The Lowball Technique
- The Loudness War
- Don't Visit This Website
- Close Friends
- Church Dilemma
- The Swirling Vortex of Doom
- The Bystander Effect
- Confessions
- How Rich Are You?
Blogs I Read
8 comments:
DISCLAIMER: GIG Notes have nothing to do with the Aggies!
keep the faith.
So happy that you are going home. Sounds like thing went pretty this time. Till Shanda hi for me. I think about all of you offen.
Love Bert
Glad round two was so good.
And quit punking out hospital food. You know you loved ARA food.
Somewhere, right now, Laura Scales is crying. Big old crocodile tears.
GAG would have been more appropriate for the aggies!
Glad you get to go Home, that is a good feeling. GIG Notes is a good title, and your thoughts on that are spot on. God is unchanging and his nature is consistent from the beginning to the end (both ours not his.) One problem I have with the name is that everytime I read a GIG Note I am going to start singing that song and picture Denny P in his cowboy hat, while Hazel smiles and claps, and everyone has a good time. Ahh good memories even though the song is IMPOSSIBLE to get out of my head. Looking forward to your first post on this topic!
Andy
"However, when I declare that God is good, I am making a declaration, not an argument. It is a statement of fact, not of logical analysis. It is proclamation of faith, not an evaluation of character. Is that confusing?"
A tigamundo confusing. Is my theology wrong...in that...in my evaluation of His character I too can believe the fact that GIG and can therefore proclaim/declare it? Would you please expand a little?
Hmmm... I'm not sure how to answer that, anon.
I'm just trying to explain my purpose in writing the GIGs.
My purpose is NOT to convince others that God is good. I'm not like a lawyer presenting his case, or a food critic making a judgment.
I'm more like someone on a long nature hike and is keeping field notes. These are just my observations.
I like your explanation and it makes perfect sense to me...God's been teaching me that when I respond to some good event by saying "God is good!" I'm implying that, if things aren't so good, then God is no longer good, which is not at all true. I don't want to give people that impression! What you're saying is: God is completely and eternally good....let me count the ways. And, if it seems that He's not, then I'm not seeing the whole picture. We can't remind ourselves (and each other) of this often enough.
Paul
Post a Comment