I've been thinking a lot lately about the goodness of God. I gave a talk a couple of weeks ago about where God is in suffering and what our response to suffering should be. Suffering is something that my family knows well as it seems we have had more than our fair share of it. In writing that talk, I had a chance to look again at how good God has been to us.

I'm learning that He doesn't cause suffering, and He sure doesn't need suffering to make his purposes known, but that He uses these instances to push us. To give us a chance to experience the pain of growing to be more like Him. And in that process to come to know the freedom of His grace.

I think the most amazing thing about all of the suffering we've endured as a family: we still exist. It hasn't killed us. Sure, we each have our issues as the messiness effects each of us in a different way, but we are all still here...working through the crap...and mostly clinging to Jesus.

Psalms 119:50 says "My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise perserves my life."

In the midst of the brokenness, the crap, I often feel like I'm not going to make it. I wonder where God is and why he is once again allowing this type of experience into our lives. The cool thing? I can look back on past situations and see that God HAS perserved me. HAS protected my family. And in cool, often small, ways has redeemed us, healed us, showed us some of his grace.

I have this awesome, little nephew --okay he's not so little--that I believe to be one of those little gifts that has brought healing to our family. He entered this world in a fashion that resembled suffering, but as his story goes, God protected him so that he could bring reconciliation, a true understanding of love, healing to certain areas of our family. He's only three, and he's already changing the world. The goodness of God? I think so!