“There are man-eating sharks in every ocean, but we still swim. Every second, somewhere in the world, lightning strikes, but we still play in the rain. Poisonous snakes can be found in 49 of the 50 states, but we still go looking for adventure. A car can crash, a house can crumble, but we still drive and we love coming home. Because I think deep down we know, all the bad things that can happen in life, they can’t stop us from making our lives good.”
This quote is from an Allstate commercial, and I really love it. Bad things happen. Good things happen. But in the end, it is our choice to dwell on one or the other. We get to decide if fear of the bad is going to keep us from going after the good. Worrying about the bad doesn’t make it go away. At the same time, focusing on the good doesn’t make the bad go away either. But by focusing on the good in life, we remind ourselves and we point others to the source of all things good.
James 1:17 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
The truth is, bad is everywhere. But I choose to acknowledge the good that is also everywhere. I choose to glorify the God from whom all good things come. I choose to believe that good can come from every situation, not because I am naïve or overly optimistic, but because I have seen it. I have seen seemingly hopeless situations turn around 180 degrees. Even when I can’t see it, I choose to have faith that the God who created each of us can also take care of each of us.
The first day of ministry at the soup kitchen, I saw a man carried off on a stretcher by EMTs because he had overdosed on some drug. I’ve had conversations with many people who were under the influence of who knows what. I saw a man literally being beaten in the streets while so many just passed by as if nothing was happening.
But I have also seen so much good, so much God. I have met several men who used to be addicted to drugs who are now helping others overcome addiction. I see the staff of the soup kitchen continue to provide clean clothes and provide meals to those in need. I witnessed the man I was talking to at the time jump over a fence and run to aid the man who was being beaten in the street that day. I’ve seen a homeless man literally give my friend the jacket off his back because it was all he had to give to her.
So yes, bad is a reality. But it’s not the end of the story. It’s not the winner of the fight. God came to bring good. God is good. And the good around us is God.
