If God is Truly Good, He is Still Good When Life is Not

Our Keepsake Journal is Here! 🎉

In the cool of the morning, while the sun still worked its way into the sky above, I sat on my deck overlooking the grassy back lawn, just taking it all in. I put on my favorite worship music, and sipped on my favorite coffee—oh how I love a nice hot cup of dark roast to start my day. I could hear my little girl giggling and singing—music to my ears. I observed as she ran about, and my heart was filled with joy for all the good God had provided. “Father, you are good,” I quietly proclaimed.

But, the thing about life is that nothing on this earth is promised. Quickly, my grateful heart twisted in knots, as I noticed my once joyful daughter now struggling, jerking about uncontrollably—another seizure that had taken hold of her little body and brain. Fear gripped my heart, and the praises I was singing just moments earlier suddenly morphed into panic.

You see, my young daughter has a form of epilepsy that has left us on quite the tumultuous emotional journey. In the blink of an eye things can go from good to horrible, without warning. This was one of those times.

In my heart and mind, this journey can so often tangle up the characteristics of my broken experience with the true character of my God.

Can you relate?

I mean, it’s relatively easy to proclaim that God is good when life feels good, but if that proclamation is our unchanging truth, it must remain firm even in the darkest of moments.

If God is truly good, He is still good when life is not.

He is still good when relationships are not.

He is still good when finances are not.

He is still good when health is not.

As humans, we have a tendency to define our understanding from our own experience. Still slowly I am learning that my circumstance in this broken life cannot define my God. No, He is bigger than all of this—any hard, hurtful, struggling thing you may face today.

And, as I grow through this walk I am reminded that we all have a choice in the matter. We can continue to stare the hard stuff in the face, taking in all of the moments that crush our spirit and dwelling on all the what ifs and why not’s.

OR, we can look into the eyes of our Savior;

The one who stays by our side as we walk through the darkest of valleys,

The one who gently lifts us up when life has knocked us down once more.

The one who has promised to always stay, even if no one else does.

The one who is love embodied, unchanged by our questions and wandering amidst the hard moments of life.

The one who is a steady hand when we grow weary.

A hiding place when the world threatens to overwhelm us.

Our strength when we have grown far too weak on our own.

As we face the most difficult moments in life, may the truth of Him be enough. May we recognize a Savior who has ultimately made a way for us, and one who is good, ALWAYS, even when what we currently face doesn’t feel so good after all.

Though we may never understand why He does not change our circumstance, that does NOT change HIM. He is still the faithful one, loving, compassionate, and trustworthy. He is STILL GOOD.

“For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You.” Psalm 86:5

“Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.” Psalm 86:1

Originally published on the author’s blog

You may also like:

And If Not, Is He Still Good?

God Meets Us In the Mess

“God’s Bigger Than You, You Know”

Want more stories of love, family, and faith from the heart of every home, delivered straight to you? Sign up here!

So God Made a Mother book by Leslie Means

If you liked this, you'll love our book, SO GOD MADE A MOTHER available now!

Order Now

Check out our new Keepsake Companion Journal that pairs with our So God Made a Mother book!

Order Now

So God Made a Mother's Story Keepsake Journal

Her View Shop

Sarah Lango

Sarah Lango is a momma of 3, wife, writer, speaker, Jesus follower, and coffee lover from small-town Missouri. She is the founder of Gracefilled Growth Ministries, where she writes about her faith, marriage, motherhood journey, and her new experience of being a “sick kids” mom. Her passion is to inspire others to live authentic lives, learning together, and embracing the grace that God so lovingly offers. You can read more of Sarah’s writing at www.gracefilledgrowth.com.

Going to Church with Kids is Hard but We’ll Keep Showing Up

In: Faith, Motherhood

Going to church is hard with young kids. It used to be something I looked forward to. It’s something I’ve always valued deeply and needed desperately. It’s the one place that will always be home regardless of what location or building it’s in or what people attend. Church is my sanctuary. But it’s become a battle with the kids’ resistance, my tired mind and body, and my lack of ability to actually listen to the sermon. Going to church is hard with young kids. It’s become normal for me to lie down in bed on Saturday night thinking, with dread,...

Keep Reading

I’m Praying for My Teenager in These Challenging Years

In: Faith, Motherhood, Teen

Teen boy holding a smartphone and wearing headphones

In my mid-40s, I began to long for a baby. We didn’t get much encouragement from friends and family. My husband is a high-functioning quadriplegic, and I was considered way too old to start a family. But our marriage was stable, we were used to obstacles, we were financially prepared, emotionally experienced, and our careers were established. I began to paint my own sublime mental portrait of parenting tranquility. What could go wrong? At 48, I delivered a healthy baby boy, and he was perfect. We adored him. The baby we had longed for and prayed for, we had. And...

Keep Reading

When Motherhood Feels Like a Limitation

In: Faith, Motherhood

Twenty-one years ago, my husband Troy and I welcomed our first son into the world. Two years later, I gave birth to another boy. And again two years later, and again two years after that. A fifth boy joined our family another two years later, and a final son was born 11 years after we began our parenting journey. If you were counting, you’re not mistaken—that’s six sons in just over a decade. We were overjoyed and more than a little exhausted. I remember feeling frustrated with the limitations of the little years with young children when I was a...

Keep Reading

The Day My Mother Died I Thought My Faith Did Too

In: Faith, Grief, Loss

She left this world with an endless faith while mine became broken and shattered. She taught me to believe in God’s love and his faithfulness. But in losing her, I couldn’t feel it so I believed it to be nonexistent. I felt alone in ways like I’d never known before. I felt helpless and hopeless. I felt like He had abandoned my mother and betrayed me by taking her too soon. He didn’t feel near the brokenhearted. He felt invisible and unreal. The day my mother died I felt alone and faithless while still clinging to her belief of heaven....

Keep Reading

Jesus Meets Me in the Pew

In: Faith

I entered the church sanctuary a woman with a hurting and heavy heart. Too many worries on my mind, some unkind words spoken at home, and not enough love wrapped around my shoulders were getting the best of me. What I longed to find was Jesus in a rocking chair, extending His arms to me, welcoming me into his lap, and inviting me to exhaust myself into Him. I sought out an empty pew where I could hide in anonymity, where I could read my bulletin if I didn’t feel like listening to the announcements, sing if I felt up...

Keep Reading

Can I Still Trust Jesus after Losing My Child?

In: Faith, Grief, Loss

Everyone knows there is a time to be born and a time to die. We expect both of those unavoidable events in our lives, but we don’t expect them to come just 1342 days apart. For my baby daughter, cancer decided that the number of her days would be so many fewer than the hopeful expectation my heart held as her mama. I had dreams that began the moment the two pink lines faintly appeared on the early morning pregnancy test. I had hopes that grew with every sneak peek provided during my many routine ultrasounds. I had formed a...

Keep Reading

5 Kids in the Bible Who Will Inspire Yours

In: Faith, Kids

Gathering my kids for morning Bible study has become our family’s cornerstone, a time not just for spiritual growth but for real, hearty conversations about life, courage, and making a difference. It’s not perfect, but it’s ours. My oldest, who’s 11, is at that age where he’s just beginning to understand the weight of his actions and decisions. He’s eager, yet unsure, about his ability to influence his world. It’s a big deal for him, and frankly, for me too. I want him to know, deeply know, that his choices matter, that he can be a force for good, just...

Keep Reading

Mad Martha, Mary, Mom, and Me

In: Faith, Living

Woman wrapped in a blanket standing by water

As a brand-new, born-again, un-churched Christian fresh in my new faith with zero knowledge of the Bible, I am steaming, hissing mad when I first read these words from Luke 10:38-42: “Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell...

Keep Reading

I Can’t Pray away My Anxiety But I Can Trust God to Hold Me through It

In: Faith, Living

I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t afraid. I was scared of people, of speaking, and even of being looked at. As I got older, I worried about everything. I was aware of the physical impact that stress and worry have on our bodies and our mental health, but I couldn’t break the cycle. I declined invitations and stuck with what I knew. Then we had a child who knew no fear. The person I needed to protect and nurture was vulnerable. There was danger in everything. It got worse. He grew older and more independent. He became a...

Keep Reading

Your Kids Don’t Need More Things, They Need More You

In: Faith, Kids, Motherhood

Mother and young girl smiling together at home

He reached for my hand and then looked up. His sweet smile and lingering gaze flooded my weary heart with much-needed peace. “Thank you for taking me to the library, Mommy! It’s like we’re on a date! I like it when it’s just the two of us.” We entered the library, hand in hand, and headed toward the LEGO table. As I began gathering books nearby, I was surprised to feel my son’s arms around me. He gave me a quick squeeze and a kiss with an “I love you, Mommy” before returning to his LEGO—three separate times. My typically...

Keep Reading