Episode 132: Is God Good? Ft. Kristin Whitney

Is God good?  What makes God good? What does God's goodness look like with a heavenly perspective vs. a fleshly perspective?

These are just some of the questions I will dive into with my guests in this next series, Is God Good?    

In this third episode of this series, Kristin Whitney and I tackle these honest questions of who is God and how can we know He is good when circumstantial evidence says otherwise.  

Join us as we navigate the intersection of faith, philosophy, and real-life experiences, seeking to understand the character of God and what it means for our lives and the world around us.

In This Series, You Will Discover:

1. Theological Foundations: Explore how our different experiences and upbringings help us understand and articulate the goodness of God.
2. Philosophical Perspectives: Engage with philosophical arguments and debates surrounding the existence of evil, suffering, and the implications for God's goodness.
3. Personal Stories: Hear moving testimonies and reflections from individuals who have grappled with the question of God's goodness in their own lives.
4. Scriptural Insights: Delve into key biblical passages and interpretations that address the nature of God's goodness.
5. Contemporary Issues: Discuss how the concept of God's goodness relates to modern-day challenges, including social justice, suffering, and global crises.
6. Expert Interviews: Gain wisdom from leaders who offer their expertise and perspectives on this profound topic.

Resources:
1. Maybe the Miracle Lyrics Music Video
2. Jordan Lee Dooley Instagram

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Transcript

0:48

Hey friends, a purpose partners. Welcome back to another episode. In the goddess good series. Stay real excited because I'm going to have my friend, Kristen Whitney Orrin to discuss the question, the topic of God's goodness. Goodness is God good. And so if you haven't met Kristin before, she's amazing. Christian. Is an artist. We actually met. At church. And she really just loves to use her artwork as a catalyst for faith. And faith conversation and she just creates these bright, vibrant. And emotionally evocative, abstract, fine art. And landscapes. And they're all inspired by scriptures and worship songs. And. Attributes of God. And each piece really is created to cultivate a deeper understanding of the heart of the Lord. And like I said, as a kind of let's just for faith and those faith conversations. So I just really love Kristin. You can follow her Christmas artwork has been featured. On a billboard and it was a wallpaper. Per four tempo the towns by Hilton. And currently she's a solo show. Going on at the Harrison center. In Indianapolis. So. I'm going to follow Krista Nelson. This episode, I'll put her information. In the show notes. I'm really excited to continue this conversation with Kristen Whitney. So I hope you enjoy.

Brandie: 2:17

Hey, friends and purpose partners, welcome back to another episode. I'm so excited to be continuing the conversation around is God good? And what does that look like? How do we know that he's good? And what does it look like from a heavenly perspective versus a fleshly perspective? Today I have my dear friend, and Kristin Whitney. We met at our church. We both go to the same church and we've both done business. Just kind of we did a Bible study together. So we got to go way back and I've just always I'm honestly like was drawn to you like you just felt like our spirits connected in that first Bible study. Like, I was just like, I need to know her. And like, we need to be friends. So that's kind of how Kristen and I met and I posted on my Facebook, like, who would want to Have this conversation with me. And she was the one who raised her hand. So thank you, Kristen, for being on the podcast. You're welcome. You're welcome. I'm excited to be here. Yeah. Well, I'm excited to hear like what you have to say, because you clearly raised your hand for like, you have a message. So I'm excited to hear what God has for you on your heart today around this topic. Cause I know you followed like my story, And a lot of, like, this, so I, I mean, I've talked about this, but I'm in grief counseling, and my grief counselor was like, I want you to, like, seek God on his goodness, and what does His goodness actually look like from a heavenly perspective Instead of like whatever your perspective is right now because you're like she's like basically I was boxing him in and like God is good if he meets these requirements and if he doesn't meet these requirements then he's not good And so I've been meditating on that and seeking him and I think that's One of the things I love about my relationship with God and that anybody's relationship with God is like he really wants that relationship He wants our heart and he's okay with us asking the questions asking the hard questions because he knows we're just seeking more of him and So I would love for you to share like what is your definition of when I say like is God good? And what is the goodness of God what from your perspective or your life experiences? How would you describe that for yourself? So yeah, so when you made that post, I immediately was like, Oh, I got to, I got to share something because,,for me, the goodness of God is about a choice to believe in the character of God. I have a friend who wrote this song called the goodness of God. And,, I thought I would read the lyrics here. my God is a giver and overflowing river pouring his lavish love on us. Season after season. We give him every reason to stop, but he never does. Oh, the goodness of God is flooding my heart with peace. It's bringing me to my knees. My God is a giver or sorry. My God is a father who ransomed sons and daughters, pouring his costly love on us, his greatest treasure given so we can be forgiven his son crushed to make us whole. So that song back in 2012 was an enormous, just, Ministry to me, we had, I know you kind of know this story, but we had just left our jobs as missionaries with campus crusade for Christ, which is now crew. Because I felt a real calling to pursue art full time. And so I was excited, stepping into this like new life venture. And then we found out we were pregnant and it was just, We were so excited and we moved into a new house. It seemed like everything was going the way, you know, all these exciting things happening, but then I had a miscarriage. And then six months later, I had another miscarriage and the first, what would have been the birth date of the first miscarriage was actually the exact same day that I had the second miscarriage. So I remember just being in our backyard. Honestly, I was holding my dog like a baby and it was just licking away my tears. But in that moment I had to choose is God good? Is this Hardship that I'm going through. Is this still part of what is good according to him and that song, I have a recording of it. And so I just kept listening to it over and over and over and remembering that, you know, no matter what we are going through, it's, it's, we have to look at God's goodness as an eternal perspective outside of our own. Experiences, whether it be past, present, or what we hope for in the future, we have to look at it as God knows the plans for me and this plan, even though it's really hard and it's devastating right now, he knows that there's goodness in it. And So I just remember having this moment talking to my best friend and just weeping with her on the phone about how sad I was that we were going through this again. You know, it was April of 2013 at that point. And I'm sorry, 2014. And I was like, you know, I'm just going to trust that God is good. I know this is part of his plan and it's horrible and I hate this, but I have to believe in his, his goodness. So Because it's not about me. It's about his character and the, the, that we can trust in his plan and his character. So, and then about two years later, we, I'm not saying this happens with everyone, but we found out we were pregnant again. And one of the things that I remember experiencing, I mean, I had morning sickness and I remember thinking, how grateful I was to have morning sickness because the first who first two times around, I never had that. And the, even though the morning sickness, you know, it's terrible and it's not fun, but I was so thankful for it. And I think that was still an extension of God's goodness. That was a reflection of, you know, what had happened in the past experience. So I think to me, that was a huge learning opportunity for both myself and my husband to trust. Trusting God and who he says he is, regardless of what we want to see happen. Yeah. I love that you said the choice thing. Cause I think that's, that's what I've been hearing in my spirit too, is like, you have to choose, like make the decision. And as you were speaking, a couple of things came up for me too. There's a song, maybe the miracle. And I posted the lyrics on my Facebook page the other day, and it was just like, It literally came up on air one which is a Christian radio station. It's kind of like similar to Caleb, Caleb, I guess. And I just like, I've not heard it on there since, and it, it's just like been really cool how God has shown up for me in different areas. Where he's just like, I hear you, I see you keep, keep seeking me, keep looking for me because I like, he responds to me a lot, I think in music and the chorus says, maybe the miracle is not what I asked you for. Maybe my deepest pain deepens me to know you more. God, in my brokenness, you were my faithful friend. And now I see that may be the miracle. And that just like, broke me in the best way, because it was like, Yes! Oh my gosh. Like, the verses, I, the verses are amazing. I'll have to put this in the show notes too, because it's like, Basically, she's saying like, her, the miracle is not what she asked you for, it was the deepening of the relationship with God. And I'm just like, oh, that's so good. And then, I don't know if you follow Jordan Lee Dooley. But she has a similar experience of me with like infertility and then adoption. And she's been blessed with adopting a son and then also gave birth to a son. And her story is really powerful too. She just posted this last night where Eric Erickson Tada was a guest on her podcast. And she said, sometimes God allows what he hates to accomplish what he loves. And I just think that's. Like I love that saying more than everything happens for a reason and that's kind of what she was saying too like because yeah maybe everything happens for a reason because we know the enemy comes to kill still destroy and God's going to use what the enemy meant for evil and turn it into good and so even with like, My Crohn's disease journey, I was like, that is pure evil, that's pure satanic, like, there's nothing good about this Crohn's disease in my body, like, it literally felt like a toxic waste dump. And when I had my surgery to remove my colon, like, I felt clean. Like, that's, I felt clean. Cause the toxicness was like, just removed from me. And, It's not necessarily that God wanted me to have Crohn's disease, but he has been able to take my Crohn's disease journey, and even my infertility journey, and use it for, like, turn beauty from the ashes, and, like, make the brokenness into, like, a mosaic piece of art, so. Yeah. Even though, like, at times I may feel bitterness or frustrated or questioned, I do keep coming back to, like, God is good, and he is, gives you little hugs along the way, I feel like. Right. Well, and one of the things you just said, too, about, Just the journey. I feel like God so often will give us just kind of like a wink or a nod, like to spur us on to keep going. A lot in my journey as an artist, there have been so many times that I have felt like giving up. I mean, this has been a slow climb. But I feel like he just often will just kind of give me like a little elbow nudge of just to remind me to keep going. There was and it shows up in completely unexpected ways, which I think is just, it really speaks to God's love for us and how he's just always pursuing us. And he's not just letting these, Awful things happen in our lives. Like that was a Johnny Eric that you said that quote from Eric Erickson Tata. Okay. Okay. So I just feel like he will always have purpose behind it. It's not just a willy nilly, you know, you're going through this hardship for nothing. He always, he always has a purpose behind it and it always turns out and shows up in the most beautiful of ways. Yeah. You know, I, a few years ago I was just kind of really going through the thick of it with my art stuff and really feeling like, Oh my gosh, God, I just, I can't keep doing this. You really want me to do this. Yeah. Within a day, I had she was, I didn't, I barely knew this woman, but she was the mother in law of a pastor I used to have. And she lived here in Indy and she reached out to me and was like, Hey, Kristen, I'm moving back to Las Vegas to be with my other kid. And I have all these art supplies I can't take with me. I would like to give them to you. I was like, Oh, that's really nice. I show up to her house and it is like, she gave me And I think probably 30 canvases, which if you know anything about art and canvases and stuff, they can be kind of pricey, even if you get them on sale, but she gave me like good quality canvases. She gave me a ton of paints, a ton of paintbrushes foam core, like all of just, An overabundance of supplies and God, it was very clear that God was just like, yes, keep going. Stop saying this. Thanks, Kristen. He, I, I have all of this for you. Just keep going. And I was super encouraged by that. Some of the canvases were paintings that she had started and she was like, I just don't want this anymore. And so I painted over Jesso. And one of them, I think this is one of them, the one that's behind. But then fast forward, you know, now I, I feel like God's allowing me to see the goodness, like the fruit of the goodness now, you know, I'm having the morning sickness later on and feeling thankful for that. And then now, so I have this show at the Harrison center, which is a really like it's a very popular artist hub in the Indianapolis area. And God completely just handed it to me. I mean, I did nothing to try to get it. It was just like. Here you go, which does not happen ever. Yes. And I had already started doing a series of paintings that were on the fruits of the spirit and I had, I had purchased all of the Kansas canvases for that. And honestly, it's, it's been a rough year financially with sales. I think that's pretty common for a lot of artists right now because it's an election year. Yeah. However so the space that I'm in is this enormous space in the basement of the building. And, I needed to have at least 20 paintings to fill the space. And I only, I had these nine canvases for the fruits of the spirit. And I just was like praying that like, okay, God, what do you want me to do? And then I remembered I had these eight. two foot by two foot by three foot canvases that were from this woman. So they're just, they're in the show now as paintings. And I didn't even, I didn't have to lift a finger to get them just like that. He would preserve those for such a time as this and that he did all function and work out. Benefit me, you know, and he, within the goodness of God, I think he had showed, he shows himself up as he is just, he loves us so much. I think a lot of God's goodness, you can really. Begin to understand when you become like a parent and how you see the long term vision of what you want for this, this kid's life, how you can't allow them to just, like, I don't know, I can't think of an example to stick a screwdriver in the socket, even though that's something they want to do. It's obviously not good. Yeah. But you know, in that moment, I think the child doesn't, doesn't see that doesn't get it, but as the leader in the, the parent, we can see that. And so seeing God also as our parent, I think is a really helpful thing to remember when we're going through hardships and that we have to stand firm on the truth that he loves us. Yes. And not about him not loving us or giving up on us or But holding anything back from us, it's part of the entire story that he's writing on our souls, in our lives, and the beauty that he's making from it. Yeah, I love that, Kristen. That was beautiful. Thanks. That was so good. Yeah, and like, that's the hard part, I think, when you're in the middle of it, to get that perspective. Because it's like, you're in the middle and all you see are the brokenness, the pain, the hurt, the ugliness of it. And to find that perspective of God's goodness. And so like, how did you, when you were, you know, you mentioned you were in the thick of it and like you were going through a lot of stuff and you did make the choice, but like, how did you even get yourself into the perspective? To see, like, you almost have to come out of your circumstance to see, like, the bigger perspective of things, or just get that heavenly perspective. How did you pull yourself out of just, like, victim mode and tunnel vision on all the brokenness around you? Yeah, well, I want to just say this first. I think it's really, it's really easy. For me to fall into victim mode, I'm sure it is for most of us. And I think that God is with us in the Valley. I don't think he abandons us when we're down there at all. Honestly, I think it's, it was just. Knowing, you know, having a solid biblical foundation of knowing who God really is, and not just, not just the surface of what you read, but I have done years of deep diving into the Old Testament and understanding his redemption on, I feel like I understand his redemption on a really deep level. And I, I guess to answer your question, that's what I would say is just, I had, I had a really solid biblical foundation of knowing who God really was and that he's not this, evil judge, like, yes, he has to judge, but it's not, sometimes it's not because he wants to. But that he loves me and he sees me as his bride and he, you know, I'm the head and not the tail and standing on the truths of what I know he says about me and who he is, who he says, what he says about himself. So, I think that's what I would say to answer. Thank you for that. No, that is good. I think it is easy to get stuck into victim mode and just see all of the little brokenness and it just feels like thorns in your side and you're just being poked and tortured almost with all these different things that happen. Because, you know, it's like the common thing when it rains, it pours. Oh my gosh, yes. Trying to do something and then it's like everything falls down at the same time and you're just like, why is this happening? Why me? Why me? And so you literally I think if you don't have a solid Relationship with God like even like me. I have a solid relationship with God and I've Fallen into that pit and we've been like, okay guys I need you to pull me out of this because I'm not seeing your goodness. Like I'm starting to doubt your character I'm starting to doubt my identity and that's like I have learned that's what satan he He attacks us like he attacks eve in the garden like he's not He's nothing he's doing is new right? He isolated eve will isolate you in your circumstances Then he'll get you to question god and question your identity. Like well, maybe god doesn't love me. Maybe i'm not like worthy of being loved. Maybe I'm not anointed. Maybe I'm not in his favor anymore. You know, woe is me. And then he'll get you to like, sin against your flesh and your spirit. And so being aware of that, I can now armor up and fight that so much better than I was. But yeah, like, It's, it's so easy and that's why we have to be on guard and armor up and I think, be in the Bible and be in the Word, even like when I was really struggling, I still kept my commitment to be in the Word. So I think something that, you know, as you were talking, I can't believe I didn't really think about this in the moment, but Thanksgiving. When we, I mean, that is a direct affront to what the enemy is trying to do in our lives. If we turn around and rattle off a list of all the things we have to be thankful for in the situation, even though it is, it feels like death to us. I think that is the biggest. Hurdle when we're going through ship and we can know Jesus, we can know the Bible inside and out, but if we aren't fighting that battle and putting up the shield of faith and, you know, listing off the verses and then turning our attitude towards. Towards Thanksgiving and thank you Lord, that this happened. I know this is really hard and I don't like it, but Lord, I know you're good, and I just thank you so much. Mm-Hmm, I mean, when we had the miscarriage, I'll be honest, I remember we had real moments where, you know, it happened near Christmas time and so we're seeing about baby Jesus. Oh baby. It was like, I hated. And I love to sing worship songs. I love singing and that was horrible. It felt disgusting to be hurt at times, but turning around and saying, saying what you can be thankful for, I think is just such an attack back. No, I'm not gonna, not gonna complain about this. I'm not gonna stand and wallow in sorrow and just, I'm gonna be thankful for where God has me right now. And you know, I say all this and I bet you in the next couple weeks, I'm going to have to swallow my words and do exactly what I'm saying. But again, I think it's just so much of God's goodness is standing on the truth that is the bigger picture. Yeah. I would agree with you on that. And I also would agree with you, like when I've felt like I was in the pit or the valley. Staying in the Word and doing, like, gratitude, like, daily gratitude. And I've mentioned this before, like, sometimes my gratitude was, I got out of bed that day. Yeah. And I just, like, ate breakfast. And the sun was shining. And, you know, it was just those simple things that I was just, God just gave me the strength to make it, make it through the day, not necessarily excel at the day, but just like, I'm still here. I'm still here. And that day still mattered to him. And he still saw, he still achieved your purpose because you're a daughter of the king. So whether it was sitting in front of the TV, zoning out because you're overwhelmed by emotion, Or going out and accomplishing some great thing. They'll had purpose in that, you know, I think that's goodness right now for me is just like more so in his mercy. That's what he's showing me is like by not giving me Things that I'm praying for asking for right now. It's more. Okay. Anyway, it's for those of you listening I have a four year old and no babysitter. So welcome to the podcast Elijah What I was saying is that being in like what he I feel like his goodness right now is mercy where even though I'm not seeing like the fruit of the promise yet or Receiving maybe something that I've been praying for He's shown me that in not giving me that right now is his mercy and it is his goodness and his love. Absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah. I, I'm sure everyone doesn't know this. So I'm, I'm also a mom and, you know, I, I want to have all these followers and make all these sales with my art stuff, but it's like, I see the other side of like, could I really handle that right now with being a school mom and full time artists? Like I, I don't, It is merciful that God's not giving me everything I want in the short term. Yeah, totally, totally. So, all right, well, let's wrap this up, Kristen, because I know we're both on borrowed time with our babies at home, cramming for our attention. Thank you so much, Kristen, for just your vulnerability and just sharing your story and your journey with me and our listeners. Is there any final thoughts that you want to share with our listeners before we close out today? I think just when you are going through the storm, that's when you lean the hardest into the king. Yes, I love that. Alright, well thank you, Kristen, and thank you everyone listening. If you enjoyed this, share this with a friend, and I hope you all have an amazing day. Thank you.