One Year Later

and God is still good

Painted by our sweet friend Nancy Rowland

Our family just returned from our first camping trip since the fire last year. It was a beautiful trip—several weeks spent in the mountains of Glacier National Park. We hiked, kayaked, saw so many different animals up close, rode a train, and played a lot of rounds of Uno.

Despite all the joy involved, I approached the trip with trepidation. Wounds don’t have expiration dates. Before we left, I asked a friend from church to paint a reminder for our family- an Ebenezer to tip our weary hearts towards truth when we begin to falter.

In the aftermath of the fire, we read The Moon is Always Round, with the kids, and adopted the mantra, “God is always good” in each of our conversations. I love that the phrase now hangs in our camper. I love that it was painted by a saint from the church who held us in the aftermath. I love that it’s true.

We saw evidence of God’s goodness in the prairie dogs that ate peanuts from our hand and in the ice of a glacier. We noted his goodness in the wildflowers along the hiking trail and the sweeping 360 degree views at a mountain summit. And we saw his goodness in every bit of fear and grief that washed over us anew.

We’re back home, safe and sound, yet God’s goodness persists. God is always good.

The small phrase is far from simple. It’s strong enough to hew the mountain peaks and nourish the mountain goats that nestle in its clefts. It’s soft enough to wrap its arms around the grieving father or the exhausted woman. It’s warm enough to envelop the lonely, the weary, and the broken. It’s constant and present for the child, the newlywed, and the long-forgotten widow. It’s secure enough to withstand the waves of chaos and the heat of every fire.

“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!” 1 Chronicles 16:34