Sunday, February 10, 2008

"Life is good."

By Marlene Depler

Hats, shirts, tote bags, and more. Various sizes and colors. All with the words “Life is good.” printed on them. While recently on vacation, I noticed the aforementioned merchandise in a variety of shops. Then when I returned home and went by the post office to pick up the mail, I spotted a black spare tire cover with white letters saying the same thing. I began to ponder these words. I asked myself, Is life good?

Listen to the nightly news on any given day. We hear about rape, murder, suicide, identity theft, lay-offs, wars, and every imaginable tragedy. No one would call these things good.

Even when I look at my own life or the lives of friends and family members, everything is far from peachy. Sickness and surgery. Divorce and death of loved ones. Financial challenges and relational struggles. Everyone has his or her own myriad of difficulties and heartaches strewn among life’s joys and blessings. So can we say unequivocally that life is good?

What occurred to me is that the answer depends on the word we choose to emphasize. If we say, Life is GOOD. Most of us would disagree because experience tells us otherwise. But if we say, LIFE is good, then the answer for me would be absolutely yes. After God first created man and woman, he looked at everything he had made and “...it was very good.” Life is a wonderful miracle, a gift from God—something to be cherished.

I can’t presume to know the intent of the marketing department that manufactures this product line. Where would they put the emphasis? On life or on good? As for me, I’ve decided the even though life may not always be GOOD, LIFE is still very good. LIFE itself is indeed good even when everything in my world isn’t perfect.

I will remember to love my life even when every aspect isn't good. LIFE is good.


(c) Marlene Depler
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