Amazing Things: Defeating Fear and Pessimism with Guaranteed Good

I smiled as I read the simple phrase printed on the pen my writing friend gave me: Amazing things will happen.

My two writing buddies who had traveled with me to a conference that July knew the significance of those words. I was going to meet with my dream agent at the conference. The agent and I had been in conversations about the proposal she was considering, and she’d told me she wanted to talk at the conference.

But talk about what? Would she offer me representation, as my friends and I hoped? Or would she instead, as my cynical, pessimistic self insisted, reject me and my writing?

As I gratefully accepted the pen and the positive outcome it seemed to foretell, my thoughts added, But that would be too amazing to happen to me.

Earlier that same year, my beloved dog was diagnosed with cancer. We were told it was aggressive and incurable. We were told he would die within four months.

I pleaded with God, begged him to let me have more time with this young dog who was my very heart. All the while, my thoughts followed my prayers with, That would be too amazing to happen to me.

In both of those situations, I was forgetting something more amazing. Our Father, the Creator and Sustainer of the whole universe, is GOOD! He is so good and merciful that He takes the time and care to give His children special, wondrous gifts.

Remember these words of Jesus?

If you then, who are 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

It’s easy to feel beaten down in this world where things are often hard. I tend to remember the bad and painful more than I remember the good and joyous. And amid my fear of the next bad thing that could happen, I forget Who my God is.

On a good day, I remember He is in control, but I more easily forget He is also good.

Despite my cynicism and doubts, I walked away from that conference with an offer of representation from my dream agent.

Despite my fear and resignation, God has given me two more beautiful years with my special dog.

This year, another of my dogs was unexpectedly diagnosed with terminal, incurable cancer. He is still with us, but his prognosis looks bleak as the cancer rapidly spreads.

I’m praying for more time, for God’s will to be done. I know we may not get two more years in this case. But I am also praying with a deep confidence I lacked before.

I know my God is good and He gives truly wonderful gifts. I know that because of His grace and mercy and His omniscience and power, whatever He brings about is always perfect, whether I recognize it immediately or not until I reach Heaven.

As the Psalmist says,

I remain confident of this:

    I will see the goodness of the Lord

    in the land of the living. – Psalm 27:13

No matter what comes in the future, for me or for you, we need never fear or doubt this truth:

Amazing things will happen!

Has God ever responded to your fear by giving you, or doing something, amazing? Please share!

Photos by Joanna Nix, Sharon McCutcheon, and John Towner on Unsplash. Original graphics designed by Jerusha Agen.