Bluebells and The Goodness of God
By Bethany Peck
Little buds of bright green made a blanket over the forest floor that gave a feeling of freshness to my hike that morning. It was a quiet Saturday, and I was out alone with my dogs, breathing deeply of the early April air and making good on my promise to myself to keep growing stronger after my back surgery.
The stillness of the morning allowed my mind to wander and I found myself recounting all of the hard things that had happened in the past few years, along with my amazement at how things had changed. A year prior, I was trapped in bed, barely able to walk with debilitating back pain, with the pandemic turning things upside down. I had doubted deliverance from my situation, but
God, in his sovereign plan, rescued me from that situation. The sheer miracle of being able to walk and hike again in that moment overcame my heart with gratitude. Yet at the same time, my heart still carried grief and sorrow over other painful circumstances.
As my dogs led the way on the trail while I was lost in my thoughts, I was brought to attention by some spinach-like plants close to the ground that I didn’t recognize. I looked more closely to find tiny purple flowers clustered together, looking ready to burst. I was intrigued.
The next weekend I went back on a mission to see the flowers’ progress. I found the buds blooming, becoming bunches of delicate blue overturned trumpets playing a song of delight as they swayed in the spring breeze. My heart was overcome by the magical woodland beauty and my body was filled with peace.
And what about my soul?
Four springs now have brought me back to this floral forest when ephemeral plants, like the Virginia Bluebells, bloom in abundance. And every April, this delight, this beauty, this peace, sings the song of God’s goodness to the deepest parts of my being.
What do you think of in regards to God’s goodness? My earliest association with the word is what I strived to be as a young girl. My parents and grandparents encouraged and taught me to be a “good girl.” What did that mean? When you pause to think, it’s really a summary of several qualities that most parents want for their children to exhibit — honesty, kindness, compassion, courage, respect, humility, mercy, and more.
God is the definition of goodness. As children, we’d fall short of that standard (maybe some more than others!), but God is perfectly good all the time. He demonstrated this in a powerful way in the book of Exodus, after the Israelites rejected God and bowed down to the golden calf, an idol made by their own hands. Moses interceded for the people, they repented, and God restored them, providing a new set of stone tablets with the Ten Commandments. During Moses’ encounter with God, He reveals His character: “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth.” (Exodus 34:6)
Goodness is the essence of who God is. He bestows his many remarkable qualities on his creatures in various ways. As author Kevin DeYoung describes it, “To experience divine goodness is to enjoy the sweetness, friendliness, benevolence, and generosity of God.” Here are just a few places in Scripture we see references to God’s goodness, encompassing his compassion, righteousness, justice, lovingkindness, mercy:
● “He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.” (Psalm 33:5)
● “Hear me, O Lord, for Your lovingkindness is good; turn to me according to the multitude of Your tender mercies.” (Psalm 69:16)
● “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him.” (Nahum 1:7)
Oh, and out of his goodness, He is a giver of good gifts!
● “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” (Matthew 7:11)
● “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17)
That goodness that I aspired to as a child is just a poor reflection of the goodness of God. His goodness in certain ways is available to all humans. For example, the wildflowers of spring are available for all to experience — God’s creation is a gift to all, whether believers or not, and a manifestation of His goodness. Other gifts such as marriage, parenthood, friendship, and meaningful work are an overflow of His goodness towards man and woman. They are gifts of His common grace that allow humans to experience good things.
But as his children — even when we stray from standards of being a good kid and a good person, when we rebel against God — He pours out an abundance of his goodness. His love, mercy, and compassion are offered to believers. While Moses was an intercessor for the Israelites, Jesus became our mediator by taking our sins to the Cross. All of God’s divine goodness is poured out in the person of Jesus Christ, who came to pardon our transgressions and give us the gift of salvation, so that one day believers may experience glory with God for eternity. That is a good thing!
To one day be resurrected with Christ is the sweetest hope there is. Yet, His goodness pours out so much more. When I walk the trail of bluebells at my local park, I feel this most poignantly. When going through trials like my back pain, and prior to that, a devastating season of ruptured relationships, I would cling to God’s love, faithfulness, justice, and mercy, knowing that no matter the storming situations swirling around me, my eternal security was safe thanks to my salvation in Christ. But he’s restored my life in so many other ways, too. It’s not exactly become the life I always imagined, but it’s filled with much goodness. A healed back. Safety from harmful relationships. Sweet friendships. Meaningful work. A restoration of creative life. And glorious local parks to enjoy His creation in every season. And even when my gratitude feels threatened by grief, God provides sweet comfort through His presence. He’s just so good to always be with us, loving us, providing for us.
Walking amongst the bluebells this spring, I kept singing a song of praise with these delicate blue flowers by my side. Occasionally, there’s a minor note, as I only have one of my dogs by my side now after losing one unexpectedly. I imagine myself as a little girl — that little girl that always wanted to be good and blessed for my behavior. But I’ve messed up. Others have failed me, but I envision myself still playfully skipping with joy. I can rejoice because I’m forgiven and have assurance of salvation. What’s more, I know I can trust the love, wisdom, correction, and guidance of my good Father, marveling in the many good gifts He has given me, and hope in more He has to come.