Every single thing that is good and right in your life is a gift directly from the hand of the Almighty. Every single thing that is not yet good and right is a gift still in process directly from the hand of the Almighty. He’s being so so sweet to you, in ways you can’t even imagine.

26 years ago today I was waking up in a hospital bed unable to walk or talk after suffering a massive stroke. I didn’t understand why this had happened to me. I don’t believe God caused it, but the truth is, he allowed it to pass through his capable hands to touch my life. It had touched me so hard, I would never ever be the same. What I didn’t understand then, as my world was spinning out of control, was the trajectory it would set me on. The massive shift it would cause on every remaining day of my existence, and the purpose it planted in me. As God allowed me to go through this, he must have been smiling because he knew the millions of ways he was going to use it for ridiculous goodness in my future.

What a gift to get to wake up every single day with the awareness that it’s an absolute miracle. What a gift to get to do things you were never expected to be able to do, yet now you do them with such ease. What a gift to see the beauty in the simplest of moments and have the awareness of their fleeting preciousness. That’s what he was giving me 26 years ago in that hospital bed. Doctors thought it was a stroke, now I understand it was a gift.

Now here I am on a houseboat, hosting adventure retreats with the most amazing women in the world, soaking in the most crazy beauty one could imagine, and not taking an ounce of it for granted. God is being so sweet.

I’ve always known God is powerful. I’ve known he is creative. I’ve known he is capable. I’ve known he is loving. But now I’m learning just how darn sweet he is. How thoughtful he is to bless each of his girls in the most meaningful ways with hidden treasures meant just for us to discover on our journey.

It’s as if our entire lives are a scavenger hunt, and we’re constantly finding clues for the next stop and surprises along the way. He’s just so darn sweet y’all!

Last Thursday I was having a conversation with Stacey here on the houseboat and I was sharing with her about our travels and she said “God is being so sweet.” Woah … that just stopped me in my tracks. He’s not just good, he’s sweet. He’s thoughtful, he’s considerate. he’s a gift giver, he’s intentionally kind in the most tender ways … he’s sweet. Since this conversation I’ve had a completely different perspective on my random little blessings and big miracles alike.

Psalm 34: 8 “Taste and see that the LORD is good.”

Psalm 119: 103 “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”

Jeremiah 15: 16 “When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God Almighty.

How do you taste God’s word? You accept it as yours. You apply it to your life. You trust the goodness he has planned and prepared for you since the beginning of time will come in the perfect timing. You continually look around and see his fingerprints on every detail and see it’s sweet like honey. You take a bite out of this life he has given you and refuse to live your days on the surface. Refuse to go through the motions. Refuse to turn this all into one big task list of things to complete. This is your one and only precious life and God is displaying his sweetness.

I learned the story of a man who is dwelling in the sweetest goodness of God. In 2nd grade he drew a detailed picture of a ranch he wanted to one day own. That picture has been saved for 40 years. During those 40 years he became very successful, then lost it all. He lost his business, lost his marriage, lost his money, lost his home. Life looked nothing like he dreamed it would. Just a few short years ago he was digging ditches to survive after bankruptcy and divorce. But God, in his sweetness had a plan, and it was so much bigger than this child of his could imagine. God took his faithfulness and hard work, and blessed it in the most ridiculous ways. Now at 50 years old, he bought that ranch and his dream of doing life changing work there is unfolding. He’s married to one of the most precious women I know, and she too is finding her greater purpose within this dream.

And where did it all start … in 2nd grade with a drawing of a ranch. What did he go through to get there? His worst case scenario of life completely falling apart and hitting rock bottom. Where is he today? Tasting and seeing God is sooooooo sweet!

All this time God knew what he was doing. God wasn’t surprised by the market that turned his business upside down, causing him to lose everything. God wasn’t shocked by a marriage that ended in divorce. He wasn’t shaken by bankruptcy and a 40 year old man having to move back home with his mama. God knew his plan for his boy, and he was patient in the unfolding of it. There was a ranch with his name on it since he planted that dream in his young heart, and NO ONE could get in the way of that plan.

Maybe God put a dream in your heart a long time ago, but you look around and see nothing but chaos and confusion around you and no hints or clues pointing in the right direction. Ahhhhhh girl, this is where it gets good. Don’t check out here, dive in here. Buckle down and do what you’ve got to do and you will see God knows exactly what he is doing. Taste and see he is good. He’s sweeter than honey. And his sweetness is heading straight towards you!

I see the sweetness of our God in this man’s dream coming true at 50. I see the sweetness of our God in allowing me to live the most ridiculously awesome life filled with awe, wonder and adventure 26 years after a stroke. Those are big things. But I also see the sweetness of God in the sunshine on a day that was supposed to be all rain. I see the sweetness of God in the right song playing at exactly the right time. I see the sweetness of God in the prompting of one person to share something with me that would impact others. I see the sweetness of God in one person shifting my perspective on a prodigal child to see they’re just “taking a family break.” I see the sweetness of God in the taste of my coffee and the cell phone that’s still miraculously working after a long swim in the hot tub.

Look around and see, God is so sweet. Count the ways he’s been so sweet to you. And for all that seems a darn bit bitter right now, just trust his sweetness is on the way, and it’s heading straight towards you!

Ain’t he just so sweet?