Remembering God’s Goodness

“The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.” – Psalm 145:9

Shannon was enjoying her second year of college when she found a lump in her breast. She mentioned it to her mom who advised her to make an appointment with her doctor. “It’s probably nothing. Breast cancer doesn’t run in our family but get it checked just to be sure.” Her mom said.

So, Shannon followed up and had the lump biopsied. Then a few days later, the news came. The cells were cancerous and Shannon would need surgery.

Since her cancer wasn’t very advanced, her doctor chose to do a lumpectomy to minimize healing time and pain. But Shannon still had to go through radiation to ensure the cancer cells were destroyed.

A woman Shannon’s mom had worked with went through a similar experience and checked in with her regularly. She advised Shannon to do therapeutic activities like journaling and adult coloring.

Shannon started writing, turning her journal into a prayer journal. She started keeping a list of all the ways God had blessed her. 

“Before then, I hadn’t spent a lot of time thinking about God but after my surgery, I realized how good and trustworthy God is. I kept coming back to that truth in the weeks following my treatment.”

Now, Shannon keeps that journal in a special place. “When things aren’t going so well, I pull out that list of God’s kindnesses toward me and it soothes my soul. I know God cares about what I’m facing.”

God, help me to remember Your kindness and compassion toward me even when my circumstances seem dark. You are always good and You are faithful. In Jesus’ name, Amen.