Saturated in his goodness. This is no arms length transaction.

 

I work in the real estate industry as a paralegal.  Occasionally, when a house sells well under market value, I get a phone call from the local tax office with the question: “Was this an arms length transaction?”

So I’ve been reading in the Psalms lately and this verse jumped out at me from Psalms 66:12:

“You’ve allowed our enemies to prevail against us.  We’ve passed through fire and flood, yet in the end you always bring us out better than we were before, saturated with your goodness.”

What does it look like to be saturated with your goodness, God?  What can I compare it to?

A stale piece of bread, soaked in eggs and milk to become a delicious breakfast of French toast.

Stiff willow boughs, soaked in the creek until they’re pliable, then woven into a beautiful basket.

Being so aware, so saturated in the goodness of God that I leak that goodness, leaving soggy footprints of goodness behind me.

When you hug me, you get wet, too.

“God, keep us near your grace fountain and bless us! And when you look down on us, may your face beam with joy!” Psalm 67:1

What’s all this got to do with “arms length transactions”?

Daddy never holds me at arms length.  He never treats me just like everyone else.  I’m his kid, saturated in his goodness, living near – or even in - his grace fountain, splashing goodness on anyone and everyone who comes my way.  And his face beams with joy when he sees my soggy self, splashing around in his fountain.  The pool’s open!  And the water is delightful!  And everyone’s invited to join me there.