Copyright © 2026
by Chantelle Henderson
What a crazy six months it has been! My life looks nothing at all like it did this time last year.
Let’s get right into it.
This is one of the songs on my playlist that I listen to daily. It’s by Jonathan McReynolds. The title is, “God Is Good”.
https://youtu.be/-f9uGdJYPeA?is=lcR59pOnIVJeeHgN
This one verse, in particular, is the prayer of my heart.
“May your struggles keep you near the cross.
And may your troubles show that you need God.
And may your battles end the way they should.
And may your bad days prove that God is good.
And may your whole life prove that God is good.”
I feel closer to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, now more than at any other time in my life.
The unexpected AND expected pathways and journeys on this side of eternity have a way of forcing you into the slower rhythms of life. I’m busier than I’ve been in years, but it doesn’t feel that way (most of the time).
Life these days look more like the following:
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Choosing, as Mary did, that good thing which could not be taken from her, as she sat at His feet as He poured into her, unlike Martha, who was anxious and worried about things of no eternal importance.
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Unrushed prayers.
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Spending more time with family.
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Resting physically, spiritually, and mentally.
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Less time on socials.
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Turning off the TV.
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Being intentional about spending time with my tribe without interruptions or distractions.
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Untethering myself from the things (and people) that were robbing me of my peace and joy.
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Showing up when it is easier to stay in bed and sleep in isolation.
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Trusting Him always and in all ways.
My life has become less and less about who and what competes for my attention and more about knowing Him, following Him, and desiring Him above all else. Out of these slower rhythms, I pray that the Father’s love and peace and joy flow through me and onto those void of peace, or joy, or hope - The forgotten. The broken. The abandoned. The rejected. The brokenhearted. The overlooked. The nobodies. And those longing to feel loved.
I deeply desire to point anyone I encounter to the very Source of life, acceptance, healing, restoration, joy, hope, and most of all, love. That is Jesus Christ, Emmanuel - God with us.
May my words be few and my actions speak louder than anything I say when I do speak.
I digress.
Through every high, every low, every turn, and every moment when I wasn’t sure what came (or is coming) next, the Lord has continued to remind me of this truth: His grace is sufficient.
Grace, love, and peace, even in the midst of seasons of testing and trials, aren’t just comforting Christian buzzwords we repeat when life gets hard. It’s a promise from the One, True, Living God. The Alpha and The Omega. The beginning and The End. The First and The Last!
He meets us during times of seemingly unanswered prayers, failures, doubts, anger, fear, anxiety, and yes….even in our unbelief. He doesn’t change His mind, break His promises, or loosen His grip on us. He is our firm foundation and the anchor of our soul. He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever.
His strength carries us when ours is gone. He gives us everything we need to sustain us through every season—not necessarily by removing the difficulty, but by faithfully walking with us through it.
When I look back over my life—the mountaintops, the valleys, the prayers answered differently than I expected, the doors He opened and the ones He closed, I pray that there be one undeniable testimony:
HE IS FAITHFUL.
HE IS A GOOD, GOOD GOD.
IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES.
AT ALL TIMES.
Not only when life makes sense. Not only when prayers are answered the way I hoped. Not only when the road is easy.
In EVERY season.
Before I take my glasses off, shut my phone down, and lay my head on the pillow, I encourage you to meditate on what Paul wrote in Philippians 4:11-13 and know that you can not only survive, but thrive, when your world flips upside down and nothing is the same as it was before - both good and bad.
“Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”
As a final thought I want to say this - It’s easy to sing songs about victories, mountaintops, and answered prayers when everything is going great. But…. there are some songs that were made for dark seasons of the soul - songs that only a broken and weary warrior can find rest in. It’s important to remember that it’s okay to listen to both.
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