“It’s all good!” my “grandson” Frank would say. Everything to him is always, “It’s all good, Grandma.” Frank is from China, he came as a foreign exchange student several years ago, and our kids who live in Reno “adopted” Frank. He’s become part of the family and is going to college now in Arizona. We love Frank — not his real name, but the name he chose when he moved here. When things get tough for me, I think of Frank and his attitude, “It’s all good.”
I remember a tough time when my dear husband, Louis, said he was bringing a couple of pastors over to the house for coffee and cake in the afternoon to talk for a few minutes and meet me. Instant anxiety and panic rose up within me. As calmly as possible, I asked how much time I had to clean up the house. After all, I had a day care service in our home; a few kids of our own added to the mix, a broken vacuum, and a severe tornado in the shape of six little boys had hit our living room and kitchen area. I knew I could put things together if I had at least an hour. I’ve learned how to quickly “gather and stow it” using an empty laundry basket. I hid some dirty pots in the grimy oven I had one day intended to clean. A quick brush of the broom replaced the vacuuming I needed to do, and I was able to make our home more presentable in record time. No problem. “It’s all good.”
Just as the men drove up, no time for rouge or lipstick, I pinched my cheeks, licked my lips, brushed the hair out of my face and smiled as I opened the door, welcoming them.
But these fellas were in serious conversation talking guy stuff. They headed straight to the kitchen ... and went directly to my oven and opened it as I let out a scream. “What are you doing?!” I must have frightened them a bit, because they all looked up in surprise. “We were talking about ovens and we wanted to check out the elements.”
“It’s all good.” Right? No. Not at that moment. I was undone. My hidden places were exposed, dirty pots, grimy oven — everything I thought was for my eyes only was uncovered. The guys were great, laughed a little, had their coffee and cake and went on their way. Louis said he’d be back at dinner time. I was gracious and hospitable, but inside I was judging myself for not having it all together.
Later the Lord spoke to my heart, and said, “My grace is enough. My grace is sufficient for you — you don’t have to hide any of the undone or damaged areas of your heart from me. I’m here to bring life, light, radiance with no hidden dark corners.” I realized I had been keeping parts of my heart from God — thinking I had to make it nice for Jesus. No. Jesus transforms from the inside out, and only he can take this life I’ve offered him and make something good out of it. His grace and love is enough. I can be myself. I can learn to live a life of devotion to him and trust him to do a work in me. I choose to do today well. “And it’s all good.”
“If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light.”(Luke 11:36)
Rev. Peggy Locke is the co-founding pastor of Fountainhead Foursquare Church and the staff chaplain at Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center.
