Surrounded by Goodness – Devotion 53

The good is there.  It may be hiding.  It may have snuck around the corner, undetected.  It may seem as though it has taken a long hiatus.  But it is there.  The good has not left.  We may wonder how there can be any good when life seems to bring so many difficulties.  We may have given up that there is good when we see suffering or experience absolute hate.  Social media can easily trap us into the posts of the angry.  The news can draw us into the fighting and disputes across the world.  Our own lives can give us a vision of anguish.  But there is still good.  It just may not be as readily apparent as everything else.

Are we looking for it?  Are we looking to see where goodness is appearing?  Are we seeking out the good?  Do we purposely spend time identifying what is good in each day?  I admit, it can seem a bit unrealistic.  But I also admit that it is often unrealistic because I haven’t actually sought it out.  So what if I choose to surround myself with a little bit of goodness each day?  What if I make a point to find any little goodness in a day?

One of the ways that I have found to do this is through flowers.  On my back patio where I spend my mornings enjoying breakfast and watching Leo play, I have a multitude of flowers in planters.  Each day, it seems there is a new joy waiting.  There is a new bloom or a new sprout I hadn’t noticed the day before.  I am amazed at the beauty that a few simple flowers can bring.  And for a moment, I am reminded that there is good.

I do still have to look for it, though.  If I sit out on the patio and spend the entire time on my phone, I miss it.  If I am consumed with the worries of the day, I won’t see the blooms.  If I am there with an agenda, it could pass me by.  Just because I am surrounded by goodness doesn’t mean I see it.

What goodness surrounds you today?  What is right before you that you are missing?  Maybe it is time to pick a few simple things that remind you of the good.  Bring it to light.  Purposely seek it out and let it bring a smile to your day.  In the middle of so much trouble, there is still good.  Seek it.

Focus Scripture:

Philippians 4:8

⁸ Finally, beloved,  whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery