873 God's Being So Sweet

Every single thing that is good and right in your life is a gift directly from the hand of the Almighty. Every single thing that is not yet good and right is a gift still in process directly from the hand of the Almighty. He’s being so so sweet to you, in ways you can’t even imagine. 26 years ago today I was waking up in a hospital bed unable to walk or talk after suffering a massive stroke. I didn’t understand why this had happened to me. I don’t believe God caused it, but the truth is, he allowed it to pass through his capable hands to touch my life. It had touched me so hard, I would never ever be the same. What I didn’t understand then, as my world was spinning out of control, was the trajectory it would set me on. The massive shift it would cause on every remaining day of my existence, and the purpose it planted in me. As God allowed me to go through this, he must have been smiling because he knew the millions of ways he was going to use it for ridiculous goodness in my future. What a gift to get to wake up every single day with the awareness that it’s an absolute miracle. What a gift to get to do things you were never expected to be able to do, yet now you do them with such ease. What a gift to see the beauty in the simplest of moments and have the awareness of their fleeting preciousness. That’s what he was giving me 26 years ago in that hospital bed. Doctors thought it was a stroke, now I understand it was a gift. Now here I am on a houseboat, hosting adventure retreats with the most amazing women in the world, soaking in the most crazy beauty one could imagine, and not taking an ounce of it for granted. God is being so sweet. I’ve always known God is powerful. I’ve known he is creative. I’ve known he is capable. I’ve known he is loving. But now I’m learning just how darn sweet he is. How thoughtful he is to bless each of his girls in the most meaningful ways with hidden treasures meant just for us to discover on our journey. It’s as if our entire lives are a scavenger hunt, and we’re constantly finding clues for the next stop and surprises along the way. He’s just so darn sweet y’all! Last Thursday I was having a conversation with Stacey here on the houseboat and I was sharing with her about our travels and she said “God is being so sweet.” Woah … that just stopped me in my tracks. He’s not just good, he’s sweet. He’s thoughtful, he’s considerate. he’s a gift giver, he’s intentionally kind in the most tender ways … he’s sweet. Since this conversation I’ve had a completely different perspective on my random little blessings and big miracles alike. Psalm 34: 8 “Taste and see that the LORD is good.” Psalm 119: 103 “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” Jeremiah 15: 16 “When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God Almighty. How do you taste God’s word? You accept it as yours. You apply it to your life. You trust the goodness he has planned and prepared for you since the beginning of time will come in the perfect timing. You continually look around and see his fingerprints on every detail and see it’s sweet like honey. You take a bite out of this life he has given you and refuse to live your days on the surface. Refuse to go through the motions. Refuse to turn this all into one big task list of things to complete. This is your one and only precious life and God is displaying his sweetness. I learned the story of a man who is dwelling in the sweetest goodness of God. In 2nd grade he drew a detailed picture of a ranch he wanted to one day own. That picture has been saved for 40 years. During those 40 years he became very successful,