It’s Already Good

It’s the last day of Caleb’s birthday month, and this year, I’ve found myself looking at him more intently, observing the young man he is becoming with more curiosity and savoring these soon-to-be-gone moments of pure innocence, boyhood wonder, and sometimes utter silliness. I’m allowing myself to slow down long enough to take it all in and recognise what a blessing it is to be his mother.

One of the things I admire most about Caleb is his gentle strength. He is a natural leader, not in the loud, demanding way some might expect, but in the way he quietly sets an example for those around him. He encourages his friends with kind words and unwavering support, always nudging them toward what is right. Even when it costs him something, whether it’s giving up a turn, sharing a toy, or stepping back to make room for someone else, he does it because it’s the right thing to do. He follows the rules, not just because they exist but because he believes in fairness and order. And when he makes a mistake and realises he’s hurt someone, he feels it deeply.

Caleb is strong-willed and disciplined, a combination that has been evident since he was a toddler. He decided at two years old that he didn’t want to eat meat, and from that day forward, he remained a committed vegetarian. His determination is evident in other areas of his life, whether it’s learning a new skill or helping out with something he sees that needs to be done. He is a quick learner who is always ready to serve. His number one love language is play, and there’s nothing he values more than having fun.

His sister, though she drives him mad at times, has always had a special place in his heart. He protects her, even when she doesn’t know she needs protecting. He gets frustrated with her antics, but at the end of the day, she is his built-in best friend, and his love for her is evident in the way he looks out for her. That same attentiveness extends to the other women in his life, especially his Nana. He watches, he notices, and he serves. It’s a quiet kind of care, the kind that doesn’t need to be announced but is felt in the smallest acts of helping without being asked.

The other day, I was praying over him as he slept, and one of the things I prayed was that God would guide his steps as he becomes the man that God envisioned in the secret place. I felt the Spirit of God say to me, “He is becoming what he has always been.” I didn’t understand at that moment, and I was too sleepy to ask, so I decided it was a conversation for a more awake and alert time of day. A few days later, I asked God about it in prayer, and I was amazed by what He revealed.

Before the foundations of the earth were laid, God imagined Caleb LeeRoy and decided it was a good idea to create him. Long before I was born or had met Caleb’s father, Caleb was, and God called him good. Conceived in love, he had no way of knowing the healing he would bring to my heart or Ceaser’s, but God knew, and He called him good. As he was being formed in my womb, the shape that his tiny hands would grow to take was already there. His laugh and silly sense of humor, the shape of his eyebrows, and the thickness of his hair… it was all already there and already good. I realised that God wasn’t just talking about Caleb’s future. He was reminding me that Caleb was called good because he was created by a good God and that he is simply becoming more of what he was already designed to be.

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them. For God knew His people in advance, and He chose them to become like His Son, so that His Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, He called them to come to Him. And having called them, He gave them right standing with Himself. And having given them right standing, He gave them His glory. ~ Romans 8:28-30  (NLT)

I often look at my life and wonder where I would be without God, without His protection, His salvation, and His relentless love. It’s a sobering thought because I know the truth: I would be far from where I am today, lost and unaware of the possibilities He had always laid before me. The reality is, I might not even be alive. I don’t say that for dramatic effect but with full awareness of how different things could have been. That’s why I let myself go there sometimes, to consider the other paths I could have taken, the lies I could have believed, the love I could have rejected. Every single time, God meets me there, reminding me that He has done everything to call me His and He would do it a thousand times over. He recently said this to me, and I hope you’ll allow Him to say it to you:

“Before the foundations of the earth were laid, I imagined you. You were a brilliant idea, one I was compelled to bring to life. When I formed you in the secret place, I called you good, and I knew that My goodness would overflow from you into the world. No matter how crooked the road gets, no matter how hard or how long it seems, I have always known that if you quiet your heart to hear My voice, I will lead you to the good that has always been there.”

Have you ever questioned if anything good could come from your life? Sometimes, things look so dark that it’s hard to believe that it is darkest before dawn. But God sees the end from the beginning. While we walk through life bound by time, struggling to make sense of things, He stands outside of it, weaving together a story that we can only glimpse in moments of faith. That’s why we walk by faith and not by sight.

As we enter the second quarter of 2025, I’m challenged to stop relying on my natural eyes to confirm what God has already shown me by His Spirit. It’s not easy. Life happens. The moment we step out of prayer, reality rushes in, and we strain to see something, anything, that confirms we’re not crazy. I know I’m not the only one. We all need reminders that snap us back to the reality of God’s goodness when doubt creeps in. These are mine, and maybe they’ll help you, too.

Contentment.

We live in a world designed to keep us looking outward, measuring ourselves against others instead of showing up as our truest selves. One of the fastest ways to realign with God’s good plan is to practice gratitude. Gratitude gives our natural eyes something to see when our faith runs low. It reminds us that God is a Promise Keeper and has already given us what we need to live a full life. From a place of contentment, our faith is refueled, and our spiritual eyes can take the driver’s seat once again. Contentment agrees with God about who we are, what He has placed within us, and what He has set apart for us. Contentment understands that there is more in you than you think, things for your children, grandchildren and many others. Yet, if we’re too busy wishing we could be or have what the next person is or has, we never get to fully become who God imagined in the secret place. When was the last time you practiced gratitude? Are you content with your life?

Obedience.

Have you ever considered that the worst form of disobedience is to rob God of the true version of who you are? The temptation to go off the narrow path God has set before each of us is intense, not so much to cause us to sin but to cause us to walk away from who we are. We can receive salvation, but what about surrender? The enemy’s greatest tactic isn’t tempting us to sin, it’s tempting us to use our free will to live our lives doing our own thing without ever consulting the One who formed us. Obedience is complex in that way. It’s about the big things as much as it is about the little things. The small, everyday choices build toward the bigger acts of faith. One of the quickest ways to snap yourself back to the reality that God has a good plan for your life is to check your obedience. Ask yourself: Am I obeying Him? When He speaks, do I listen? When He calls, do I answer? Obedience is the truest test of faith in what God has spoken over your life.

God Vision.

What you see and how you see it determine where you end up. In a world obsessed with ambition, it’s easy to chase goals that have nothing to do with God’s vision for our lives. The problem isn’t ambition itself, it’s choosing to build our futures apart from the One who knows our end from our beginning. When you dream about your life, when you write down your goals and chase after your vision, ask yourself: Where did this vision come from? From God or culture? From God’s Spirit or social media? From His voice, or the voices of those around you? The only way to realign with God’s good plan is to surrender to His vision, not one we’ve conjured up on our own.

Trust in God.

God has already worked out every detail of your life. You may be in a season where that truth feels impossible to believe, but it is just as true now as it was the day He formed you. When doubt, guilt, inadequacy, disappointment, hurt, trauma, insecurity, grief, pain or loss shout the loudest, we forget that God is trustworthy. I ask myself this often: If I can’t trust God, then who can I trust? The answer is always the same. There is no one I can or should trust more than Him. If He failed me, I would be lost. But He won’t. He never has, and He never will. Psalm 37:3 says, “Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.” When you refuse to have a backup plan for your faith, you learn to feast on God’s faithfulness alone. Even in the hardest moments, do you trust Him enough to let His goodness sustain you?

Patience and Perseverance.

Have you ever stepped out in faith, only to feel completely exposed, waiting on a promise that hasn’t come to pass yet? You’re not alone. It’s a natural part of the journey. The danger isn’t in the waiting, it’s in letting go of the promise altogether, convincing yourself it was never real. God’s good plan always unfolds in process. It’s already worked out, but we have to walk it out patiently. When discouragement creeps in, look back. Write down how far you’ve come. You may not be where you want to be, but you’re not where you started. Patience isn’t just about waiting, it’s about persevering. Every time you want to quit, it’s a sign that you’ve lost sight of the value of the promise. The promise only loses its value when we stop looking at it through the eyes of faith. Have you given up on goodness because you’re tired of having to close your eyes and see it? Look back, friend. You’ve come further than you think.

God’s plan for your life is good, and He is committed to bringing it to pass. But we have a part to play. If we want to receive His good, we must submit to the process. If it’s not good yet, then He’s not done yet. God’s good doesn’t come easy; if it did, we wouldn’t respect it. So don’t sell yourself short. Press in. Stretch further than you ever have before. When you reach the other side, you’ll see that every step, every sacrifice, and every moment of faith was worth it because it’s already good.