All that is Good

I know this is not the primary message of this blog, but as I looked at the barrage of disgusting headlines in the news this morning, I found myself unfazed. It would be very hard to discourage me right now.

Let me explain…in addition to being a mother, I have been blessed with the opportunity to serve in my church with a group of local teenage girls. For the past few months, we have been working on a program for our Sunday services. The girls all wrote talks and learned songs to sing. I admit that the other leaders and I were a little bit nervous about whether the whole thing would come together. But yesterday, I got to sit in the audience with my four children and listen to these beautiful girls perform. They were more amazing than we could possibly have hoped for.

One young woman gave a sweet tribute to her father, talking about how his example of love and hard work inspired her to be a better person. Another spoke about how she doesn’t find it difficult to cling to her high morals because she knows that her life has been blessed by them. One even said she knew what her leaders sacrifice to spend time with her and it helps her to understand the importance of the things we teach. These girls are so young, yet they are the kind of people that make you want to believe in the goodness of the world.

I am posting this today because I want everyone to understand that, although I often highlight the bad, there is much more good in this world. I want the cynics to understand why I repeat over and over that I believe in people and that is why I cling to freedom so tenaciously. I want the parents to understand that when you expect miracles from children, you will find them stepping up to the plate with more grace than you can imagine.

Yesterday I heard a fifteen-year-old girl give the most beautiful testimony as she sang one of my favorite songs:

“Walk tall, you’re a daughter, a child of God.
Be strong and remember who you are.
Try to understand, you’re part of his great plan.
He’s closer than you know.
Reach up, He’ll take you’re hand.”