Seeking God's best over your "good"

I’ve clung to Romans 8:28 and dissected it over and over again for the last several weeks, probably even months, because there’s so much power, conviction, and hope behind it. But ultimately, it’s caused me to pause with an overwhelming sense of peace.

It's a great verse to dissect. It's slightly short, but there are a lot of moving pieces within those words. When I read through the verse three consecutive times, I notice a different feeling with each read:

1. At the first read, it sounds powerful. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” That truly sounds powerful almost beyond comprehension. How can God order good for THAT many people? I’m not really sure how He does it, but I am assured that He does.

2. At a second glance, I’m almost convicted and stumped with the word “good.” You see, I’ve been taught over and over again that God’s “good” isn’t always the same definition I use for “good.” Sometimes things, paths, ideas seem morally good, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re God’s best for you. I’m convicted of believing so strongly in things that are surface-level good instead of just surrendering the root of those things, which is desire. But the action of this thought process doesn’t feel right unless you truly bask in an already provided peace.

3. After that feeling of conviction, another read makes the verse sweet. God defines “good” with His idea of best. His call to order is crafted together so flawlessly, and only He can see the bigger picture. He orchestrates every movement, breath, raindrop, ray of sunshine to seamlessly align with His vision and His will. When we remember his perfect hand, we find comfort.

I look around at our hurting world- suicide rates are high and heartbreaking, mass shootings are shattering communities, too many Americans are living without homes, natural disasters are turning worlds upside down, and the list goes on… But, humanity only pauses the political and social isolation for one short moment to empathize, and then we’re back to the loudness. If only our world could be more still and rest in this promise and speak this promise over the hurting souls, we would realize that with God, it will all be okay. After all, there’s a home much more important, warming, and delightful in the end days ahead. That’s the end goal. It matters more than our “good.” Heaven is God’s ultimate good for us, and our lives should be totally devoted to sharing this good with others.

This world will never consistently feel good to the flesh. Following the patterns of this world will actually rot the soul. Pursuing God’s good isn’t always comfortable, but it sets the stage for the overflowing taste of good in heaven. This is why advancing His kingdom is so important.

So, my prayer for you, friends, is that you pause for a moment and differentiate your desires from the Lord's because His will point you upward and create an example of exuberance for those watching you. It's a tricky pattern of thought, but it will be worth it when God says to you, "well done, my good and faithful servant." I'll be right here working on that mindset with you.

Better When We're Dancing

I’m a line dance girl. Anytime one comes on, I rush to the dance floor. Quite possibly, there’s no greater rush of adrenaline than the intro of “Footloose.”

I remember my high school prom. “Footloose” came on, and I ran to the dance floor. Naturally, I assumed many others would follow, but instead, I think I was one of four people doing the line dance (granted, it was a small school). I remember thinking “why am I one of the only ones doing this dance? It’s the best line dance there is!”

Fast forward to college, and I was standing on a dance floor in a pool of poodle skirts and leather jackets doing the “Cha Cha Slide” with nearly everyone on campus. Maybe college kids just like to dance more, or maybe my opinion of “Footloose” being the best line dance is inaccurate, but the difference in the spirit of those two places was incredible. As a college student who didn’t really care what she looked like cha cha-ing on the dance floor, I felt the liberating aura we created just through a song, and for a moment, we could all dance in perfect unison without any distractions from the world.

I never really understood why I loved a good dance party so much until that moment. I grew up around dance and was a proud show choir kid, so I constantly had a little jig in my head, but to me, dancing with people always produced one of the purest forms of joy. In my poodle skirt that night, I noticed how all of the people in that room just stopped what they were doing and took their place on the dance floor. And might I say, they did the same thing for “Footloose” later.

See, everyone has a spot on the dance floor, because everyone has a temple that can produce liveliness. I believe God designed our bodies to act out of joy, and moving them produces a contagious spirit of comfort and contentment with our bodies. Dancing shows confidence without saying anything, and it releases the natural mood booster, dopamine.

Dancing also releases endorphins, which makes it a natural painkiller. Dancing is the one moment where everyone can join together and bond over one thing: the melody. It’s a painkiller because it’s unifying. When a familiar tune comes on and everyone rushes to the dance floor, all of our outside cares seem to fade away for approximately three minutes.

We need that kind of natural pain killer in our everyday lives, not for our flesh, but for our souls. If we could all dance through life, I think our world would be a more harmonious place. Yet, we walk through life caring too much. We care too much about the way we look, the things we have, the people and policies our friends vote for, and the things that hurt us. We walk through life caring, and because we care about the things that bring us down, we walk through life lonely.

Our world is cold, but thankfully we have a God who is willing to dance with His children. Dance with God and His will and grace in gladness. Dance in the rain if you want to; dance in your car; dance at a wedding; dance with your friends; dance in a TikTok; dance with joy in your heart. I promise a little hair flip or even a little shimmy will make your day brighter, but even when you can’t actually get up and dance, do a little eight-count in your heart of hope, praise, and optimism that encourages those around you to exude the same. Get over the embarrassment. Dance on earth like nobody's watching. Dance for the glory of God, and one day, I believe we’ll be dancing like we've never danced before in heaven.

A Love Letter to my Readers

What if I told you that every action should be a love letter? It’s February, and suddenly you’re insanely inspired while sporting your red or pink top and heart-shaped accessories replaying rom com scenes in your head (Sweet Home Alabama or How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is probably on my agenda). But seriously, every action beyond Valentine’s Day truly should come from a place of love.

I am a HUGE fan of Valentine’s Day- the red and pink color combo, the excuse to wear cheap gaudy heart earrings, the cheesy T.J.Maxx decorations from the clearance section… it gives me all the warm, fuzzy, whimsical feels. I think we can all agree that our pupils gleam a little brighter when we open a box of conversation hearts and soak up the bright colors and witty sayings.

Why do these almost gimmicky pieces of a holiday make us feel this way? Well, at their core, they represent love. No matter what your relationship status is, the true meaning of love is something to celebrate because it’s one of the purest, authentic, optimistic attributes you can give to this world.

Love is powerful. With every greeting you give your professor (even on the days of exams), embrace you offer your dog, call you make to your grandma, and text you send your friends, they should notice your love. You should let all that you do, even the little things, be done in love.

So, in the spirit of defining, outlining, and inspiring love, I’ve written and love letter to you, my readers:

Dear friends,

First, I want you to know how loved you are by our Father. You are held, called, and made strong. Because of His love, you can love too.

Love comes from humility and peace, and it is important to a) recognize the love that has been given to you and b) replicate the love that has been given to you. We love, truly, because He first loved us.

Love drowns out negativity and motivates the soul. Love is craved in every corner of this world.

I hope my encouragement to sprinkle love makes you feel loved. I’ve found that humans are most encouraged when they’re encouraging and flowing with positivity, so I want to lovingly encourage you to exude love in your everyday steps.

To shower you with love, let me offer some pieces of advice:

• Take a moment every day to reflect on the little things that bring you joy. Those are the things you love. The sunshine needs your appreciation, your pet needs your attention, your music library needs your ear. Learn to love those things to the fullest, if they align with what is good and true.

• Find a place in your heart for everyone you meet. Everyone deserves a smile, a handshake, and a prayer. Even if you don’t know them by name or will likely never see them again, you can open up your heart by flashing sincerity with your teeth. If you redirect your thoughts to see the positive instead of the negative, loving people will become a piece of cake.

• Love your place and every moment in it. You are sitting, standing, living, breathing, eating where you’re at for a reason. Even if you’re on aisle 7 at Walmart looking for dental floss, you’re still there for a reason. Appreciate your surroundings, and love that you have been placed in someone’s path to share a breath of life or a few seconds of the day with them.

• Look at yourself (when you pass your mirror or open your snapchat camera, whatever you have to do to get a good look), and admire the person you are. Don’t look at yourself conceitedly or only admire your new hairdo, but look at your eyes that are used to see the good. Look at your lips that speak words of affirmation. Look at your hands that craft work and assignments. Look at your ears that hear the beauty of people’s voices. Know that every part of you is beautifully capable of stirring up a revolution of love to those around you. You have every tool you need.

I believe in you, and I believe in your heart. These simple actions are achievable through an open heart and a Christlike mentality. Let’s celebrate the meaning and power of harmonious love beyond this holiday, and let’s make every action a love letter.

Love,

Kaelin