God is good all the time

This morning while I was drying off from my shower, my back began to spasm. Every now and then, for no apparent reason, my back will go into painful spasms and I am in agony. I quickly did some stretching exercises to head it off, but it is only in a "when you least expect it I will get you" mode. I am praying that it not lock up for days which can happen.

There have been times when circumstances in my life seem to do the same thing: sneak up on me and cause pain. There appears to be no particular reason why some things happen out of the blue. A car accident, a sudden illness, an unexpected expense, a quarrel that seems to come out of nowhere. Where is God in those events?

My pastor has a phrase she uses frequently: "if God is in it, then it's all good." The assumption being that God is present at all times and in all places and therefore is in every area and aspect of our lives, the good and what seems bad at the moment. The reason why all things work out for good is that God himself is good and lives in every believer. Our lives are a journey that sometimes includes trials of various sorts and though at the time we may feel pain, nevertheless, God's presence assures us that in the end, all will be well. Like the old adage, "all is well that ends well," God promises that we will look back on our lives and see how all the times of our lives add up to joy and peace, even that which was painful at the time.

And if God is present in all events that touch us, then nothing is happenstance. All things work together, the seemingly mundane as well as the momentous events. Day to day living, in a walk with God that can be wild and scary at times, but in the end is worth it.

In the big picture, my back spasm isn't of eternal consequence. It is a frustrating condition that I have to live with and I can choose to complain or I can choose to thank God for medications that ease my suffering. It's a tiny step in character development. I will do some more stretches and take medicine if it hurts too much. And I will thank God that he is near me in all that happens, good and not so good. All is well that ends well.