God is so good.

At the risk of giving you whiplash as I record emotional states, I will share the ways He always helps me get my mind off myself and onto Him and others.

Last night my husband got done with a work meeting earlier than we thought and we met him at a Quik Trip and headed downtown together for the Lighting of the City Tree festivities.  The lines were long and we only got in some face painting, but I was grateful the whole time.  The boys’ joy at the lights, watching Dan carry Caleb on his back, listening to different conversations from the crowd surrounding us.

Then after we dropped Dan off at his truck in the QT parking lot, we noticed a man on the sidewalk hunched down. Being night time, the boys and I didn’t stop.  But we prayed and asked God to help him on the frigid night.  We asked for his physical needs to be met, but also his spiritual needs.

When we’d been home for about ten minutes and Dan still hadn’t shown up, I called to make sure his truck hadn’t gotten funky or something.  He said he’d be there soon and explain when he got home.

He told us how another man had shown up near the first man we’d seen hunched over.  Dan had sat in his truck praying without staring and asking what God would have him do.  Then the second man walked up to his truck window and asked if he had anything to eat.  Dan got out, went into Quick Trip, and got them sandwiches and Gatorade and granola bars.  He also prayed over them out loud.

As he relayed the story to us, the boys and I smiled at each other in delight at how God had answered our prayers. With their Daddy.  (I love this man.)  As we prayed before bed, we asked for them and anyone else who doesn’t have a warm place to lay their head at night.

I thought of our Savior and His first night on Planet Earth.

I thought of all the people on the street this winter who could go to a shelter, but who also have had bad things happen to them there.  So they choose a park bench.

I thought of the stories some of my seniors told me yesterday.  Though they have a warm home, they have medical issues or family stuff or persistent pain.

I thought of how self-indulgent writing can be for me.  And yet, maybe it can speak to others.

My Word this morning was Psalm 30.  In particular:

For His anger lasts only a moment,

But His favor lasts a lifetime;

Weeping may remain for a night,

But rejoicing comes in the morning.

It always comes, doesn’t it?  It comes through a friend needing my help with carpool this morning, making me grateful to serve and not always being the one needing carpool help.  It comes through three sweet, sweet boys in the back of the car giggling over Santa Duck and asking good questions about life.  It comes through getting to hang with my boy today and read and see friends and serve my family.

Life is hard.

But isn’t that what this season is about?  That the One Who made it all beautiful chose to step into the mess we made of it and relate.  He can relate.  He totally gets me.  Yes, He responded perfectly every single time.  And I rarely do. Especially initially.  But He can relate.  He can say “I know” with perfect authenticity and yet without any enabling.

He can tilt my chin up and your chin up and two men’s chins up once again and help us fix our eyes on Him.

He really does get it.

And He really does transcend it.