Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God
And all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God
This is my morning wakeup song. I am amazed and moved by God’s amazing goodness each and every day. I am blessed to serve in a place that is overflowing with images and experiences of God’s goodness. Each day in my quiet time, which for me is not always quiet (I tend to sing and praise loudly), I seek to praise God for His goodness and grace over my life and over our ministry to the most vulnerable around us.
When we do not take the time to stop or we get too busy in the rush of doing, it is easy to get caught up in the chaos all around us. But we cannot let the chaos steal our joy. We cannot let the noise drown out the music in our souls. When I feel the chaos, I change my environment. I make time to visit a cottage, spend time with some of our girls at Camp Duncan, or listen to one of our family care moms share her story. The goodness of God is all around us if we just take time to open our eyes to see and our ears to listen.
I see God’s goodness in and through cottage parents, foster parents, case managers, and each direct care staff member who are in the trenches amidst the chaos and trauma, living out God’s mandate to care for the least of these. I see God’s goodness lived out in and through you, our faithful BCH family.
Did you know that VBS children across the state collected thousands of dollars to care for our children? One VBS collected more than $5,000 to buy new shoes for our children. Did you know
that food and school supplies have been delivered by Sunday school classes, youth groups, children’s classes, WMU groups, and
Baptist on Mission volunteers saying we want to make a difference? Just this morning I received a call from a small WMU group (6 members) that decided to be a $75 school sponsor for six children. I see and experience the goodness of God in your witness and encouragement through your notes, prayers, phone calls, and many gifts of kindness. We are so very grateful!
I recently read this quote by Bob Goff: “Instead of closing our eyes and bowing our heads, sometimes God wants us to keep our eyes open for people in need, do something about it and bow our whole lives to Him instead.” These words make me think of our staff who God has called to serve at BCH. I immediately think of you, our
faithful BCH family who give everyday to make this ministry possible. You have opened your eyes to see the trauma of those we serve. You have opened your ears to hear their cries of pain, and you have opened your hearts to change their stories by introducing them to the goodness of God over and over again—until they can begin to believe in a God of hope and healing.
For a child that has experienced gut-wrenching trauma through abuse, healing does not come overnight. For a child that has been starved both physically and emotionally, trust is not immediate. For a mom that has been told she always makes bad decisions and that she does not matter, belief that she and her children can have
a new life seems unattainable. For a child that has failed in school over and over again, a new school year can produce anxiety and fear that is hard to get past. For a young girl that has been a victim of trafficking, the reality that she can escape the horrible memories seems so beyond reach.
It takes time. It takes understanding. It takes wisdom. It takes
forgiveness. It takes love. It takes hope.
It takes prayers. It takes your faithful obedience to God to share His message of salvation and transforming power over the chaos and trauma.
Thank you for living out the goodness of God through your many acts of kindness. It is your standing with us each and every day through faithful obedience and your bowing before Him that sustains us.
Keep your eyes open for people in need, do something about it, and bow our whole lives to Him. It is not a one and done. Micah 6:8 reads: “Act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.”
Let’s strive to live it loud, my friends!
I invite you to sing with me. I encourage you to let your voice rise above the chaos and the trauma as you commit to allowing your heart to bathe in the goodness of God on this day, and the next day, bowing your whole life to Him. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father
which is in heaven” (Matt 5:16). On this day that the Lord has made, rise, shine, and sing:
And all my life You have
been faithful
And all my life You have
been so, so good
With every breath that
I am able
Oh, I will sing of the
goodness of God
Please note that last month your church received their Annual Offering materials. Please encourage your church to walk with us on this journey to care for the most vulnerable among us. We would love to come to your church and share the BCH story. All we need is an invite and we are there. Call us, we are ready to share the amazing BCH goodness of God story with your church. Please know we celebrate how God uses your goodness to care for our precious children and families.
Thank you!
Written by Brenda Gray, Executive Vice President, Development & Communications