One morning, in the middle of many weeks of struggling with work issues, self-doubts and an uncertain job future, I asked myself, "Okay, given all that and how unpleasant it is, what is good right now?" This was the answer:

My cats are good: soft, gentle, funny, affectionate, life-giving, sable-cloaked, soul-restorers.

My friends are good: available, solid, steady.

Home is good: embracing, warm, inviting, nurturing.

Tim is good: healthy, caring, sensual.

Sitting here, now, is good: morning journaling, centering, calming, resting.

Breathing, sleeping, walking, exercising–living in this body, feeling it, using it; this is good as well.

Color, texture, candles, scents, light, warmth…all good, too.

Ah, and food! Cold cereal, freshly ground and brewed coffee, homemade bread baking, scallops, pizza, buffalo burgers, crisp salads with tangy dressings, cinnamon coffee cake. Food is good in all its variety and endless variations. Food for the body. Food for the spirit. Food, too, is good.

God is good. God–whomever/whatever God is–God is good too. I choose to believe this. I choose to believe, as Steve my coworker reminded us on Wednesday by reading 1 Corinthians 13, that the ultimate reality is love. Love is the foundation, the framework, the beginning and finally the end of all this striving and hopefulness–everything working from, in, through and toward love.

Acknowledging the crap you must face today, what, right at this moment, is good for you?

Text and image © 2010 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved.