My oldest has to be at the bus stop by 6:40 each morning. As Summer gives way to Fall, the early morning light has dimmed. The sun takes longer to rise, and so my son and I walk together down the deserted street in the quiet twilight of pre-dawn. I often look up at the sky as we walk, noting the gradual arrival of daylight, and the way the light doesn’t push out the darkness, but rather, the light moves into the darkness, streaking through it in beautiful shades of pink, purple, orange, and yellow that eventually spread to become a brilliant canvas of cerulean blue.

The other morning, the light bled into the darkness in such a way that it looked like an Impressionist painting. Beautiful paintbrush strokes of violet, pink, and white were drawn across a backdrop of blank indigo. I paused my son in his never-ending discussion of Lego sets and Funko Pops and pointed heavenward: “Look,” I said. “It’s a painting.”

In those early morning treks to the bus stop, I see God’s goodness. I see his goodness in the dawning of the day, as the light eases its way into the darkness and gradually moves over it until the darkness is transformed. I think this is how God works in our world, which is often anything but good. God moves into the darkness, transforming it until his love light is the only thing that can be seen. God overcomes the darkness by moving in and transforming it.

My sister used to work for an organization in the Kansas City area that provided transitional living for homeless teenage boys. These young men would come to the residential facility with very little, little in regard to material possessions, and little in regard to a hopeful future. The boys worked with tutors, social workers, and counselors to overcome the struggles of their past and to forge a future that was bright with possibility. It was hard work, and change came slowly. There were often setbacks, and some of the young men chose the familiarity of the past rather than the unknown of the future. However, over time, these boys’ lives were gradually transformed. They graduated from high school, some even went on to college. They got jobs that paid a living wage, purchased cars, and rented apartments or homes on their own. But, it wasn’t just the boys who were transformed–the entire community that held and supported them was transformed, as well. Lives were changed. Perceptions were altered. Transformation came. God’s goodness was seen.

Psalm 27 makes a promise about God’s goodness. The psalmist writes, assured by his faith, that he will see the goodness of God in this lifetime. We don’t have to wait until the next life to see God…we can see him now. However, we have to look.

Where do you see God’s goodness? Where do you see the light of his love pushing through the darkness? What transformations are taking place in your community that reflect the goodness of God?

Blessings and Peace,

Sara