Erica Baldwin - Oh His Goodness

Clinging to God’s Goodness in Life's Impossible

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Hey there!

I’m so glad you’re here! I pray you’ve wandered onto this virtual space because you need real, tangible hope. Maybe your faith is dangling by a thread as you face life’s impossible circumstances. Living with an incurable genetic condition, I've learned that your faith can be firm even while your life is fragile. Join me as we journey to God's goodness on life's uncertain path... Read More…

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ericabaldwin_ohhisgoodness

Fragile body, firm hope | #VascularEDS warrior
I help you cling to God’s goodness in life's impossible.
⬇️ FREE devotional pdf - Rest in Jesus

* * "Thetefore I have hope…" This phrase in Lam

*
*
"Thetefore I have hope…"

This phrase in Lamentations 3 often rushes to my mind when worry threatens to consume me. Thoughts swirl, gut hardens, throat sawdusts, and tears draw hot lines down my face over circumstances I can't change.

With that phrase, the Spirit reorients me to Hope bigger than heartache.

The first 20 verses of Lamentations 3 are filled with honest cries. Abandoned. Hunted. Trapped. Targeted. Forgotten. Imprisoned. Wasted. Shamed. Taunted.

Peace drained.
Happiness dashed.
Endurance dead.
Hope dwindled.

Then, a turn in verse 21: But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope.

*Why* can we hope, according to this book of laments? Keep reading.

***

It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.

***

We are not consumed because there is no break in the timeline of God's mercy. In Christ, his favor and compassion greet us every tear-stained morning. His never-ending goodness is our reason to hope.

In sin, grief, or helplessness, recall His living hope then seek, wait, and trust. He's ready for you.

#Lamentations3 #lament #hope #ohhisgoodness #hopeinchrist #newmercies #hopeinsuffering #grief #notconsumed

💕 A glimpse into motherhood. The journey here w

💕 A glimpse into motherhood. The journey here wasn't easy. Grief & loss paved the way to gratitude & joy, making the little things even sweeter. Thank you, Lord.

#happymothersday #birthtrauma #afterinfertility #motherhoodafterinfertility #ohhisgoodness #countingitalljoy

I "went" to church on the bedroom floor last night

I "went" to church on the bedroom floor last night. The morning service was soul-feeding and refreshing, from the songs and sermon to baptisms and testimonies, from hugging old friends to chatting with new ones.

We fully intended to worship last night again in person, then an unexpected #chronicillness flare-up landed me in bed … then on the floor trying to get comfortable with two pillows, two blankets, a squashmallow, nearby bucket, and a cold washcloth.

There's nothing like being with the body of believers, the mutual encouragement to love, and good works, but I'm thankful for the online option when it's needed.

It was a "singspiration service," which may be unfamiliar to non-Baptists - simply meaning it was a music-focused service of corporate worship singing and specials. When this congregational song started playing, I perked up.

"Oh, how He loves you and me,
Oh how He loves you and me.
He gave his life, what more could he give?
Oh, how He loves you;
Oh, how he loves me;
Oh, how he loves you and me."

I've written about this chorus before, how it's gotten me through many times of fear and anxiety.

Our 11-year-old was sitting with me in our room. I told him, "Buddy, you know it's important to learn these songs, so we can remember them when we need them. I sing this song a lot when I'm scared or fearful or anxious."

(He goes on to say how scared and fearful are the same thing, but alas 11-year-olds are literal, and I pray he remembers my point. 😆)

I thought of two things as I was lying there on the floor.

💙 One, God’s goodness met me right there in my weakness. It reminds me of one of my favorites, Psalm 103:
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
4 who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy.

It certainly felt like a "pit" moment.

💙 Secondly, I thought about discipleship and how important these little moments are in raising our kids. My son needs to see my weakness and need for a Savior. He needs to know how the Spirit sustains me in the pit, how learning and singing about God’s character is spiritual warfare against discouragement, loneliness, anxiety, & more.

**cont. in comments

I’ve been gone from these social media spaces fo

I’ve been gone from these social media spaces for more than a month. It wasn’t intentional, but necessary as I’ve wondered how I can encourage you during this season of life.

I write mostly for those who are suffering from chronic illness, for believers in deep trials questioning God’s goodness, and followers struggling with fear and doubt if this life of faith is worth it.

Truth be told, life is good lately. My schedule is busy. My home is full. My passport got stamped. My body is (mostly) keeping up - blisters, bruises, and all.

But in this season of sustained health, I’ve also:
❇️ Had an unplanned CT scan to ensure I could go on an amazing trip
❇️ Needed reassurances from God’s Word on His goodness
❇️ Called friends for SOS out-loud prayers as I’ve cried from anxiety and fear
❇️ Watched my son endure a scary allergic reaction
❇️ Tried to balance service, work, celebration, travel, and rest - sometimes not very effectively
❇️ Witnessed life move at a break-neck pace: baseball with our 11-year-old, school concerts, traveling near and far, spring break staycation, the 18th birthday of our exchange student and planning for her upcoming graduation (!)

I’ve been unsure how to encourage you if you’re currently in a season of unrelenting pain or pervasive unknowns. I can’t promise health and prosperity because that’s not the Savior I believe in nor the One who’s written about in the Bible. We *do* know the end of the story, but I can’t promise it will all get better in the here and now.

But I’ve picked up a few lessons over the past few weeks, and I hope they will encourage you, too:

🔅I’m never too well-off or self-sufficient to live without God’s sustaining grace. (Colossians 1:17)
🔅Praying friends are a necessity. (James 5:16)
🔅Saying “no” is okay - and I’m learning to leave the guilt behind. (Matthew 5:37)
🔅I’m always in need of God’s Word for endurance and hope. (Romans 15:4)
🔅Ease often makes me forget I’m poor in spirit. (Matthew 5:3)
🔅Making time for deliberate gratitude (in want or plenty) is essential. (Hebrews 12:28, Hebrews 13:15)

As you head into the weekend, blessings that you see the goodness of God in the land of the living.

"Your life is hidden with Christ in God.” I can

"Your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

I can’t stop thinking about this phrase in Colossians 3 after it was shared at church last night.

To be honest, life has felt a little like it’s on auto-pilot lately. Busy, good but not magical. My times with God have seemed a little unexceptional. Words in the Word haven’t jumped off the page and pierced my heart.

But the phrase “your life is hidden with Christ in God” is everything. All of my life is protected by my standing in Him. All of my days are ordained and ordered by His loving wisdom. All of my future is secure. I, along with all who are with Christ, will appear with Him in glory (Col. 3:4). Shielded. Safe. Secure.

As the Psalmist says, I’m hemmed in before and behind - never out of the reach of God’s gracious rescue or gentle correction. So even in the mundane, we keep reading His Word, we keep showing up among His church, and we keep trusting the Spirit never takes a day off.

Even when we aren’t moved to tears, we still worship. Even when we are tempted by tasks or distractions, we obey by saturating our minds with His Word.

We don’t earn our life hidden with Christ - He paid it all! - but we convince ourselves of it every day when we choose Him even when things feel stale.

It reminds me of these words in Glenna Marshall's book, Everyday Faithfulness: “Stagnant faith that’s struggling but still pressing on is still faith. And you might look back one day and see that it wasn’t stagnant faith at all, but rather a time when the Lord taught you perseverance. If persevering is hard, if it’s rote, if it feels like the last thing you want to do, press on.”

As we press on, we remember we are hidden with Christ in God - and it changes everything.

#perseverance #presson #hidinchrist #colossians #faiththatwillnotfail #everydayfaithfulness #christianwriter #OhHisGoodness #perseveranceofthesaints

@glennadmarshall

Reading this book will help you love people in you

Reading this book will help you love people in your life facing infertility with compassion & understanding - a faithful companion & guide

5 quotes from Love Them Well: Supporting Your Loved Ones as They Walk the Road of Infertility

#lovethemwellbook #lovethemwell #infertility #infertilitygrief #infertilitysupport

I'm reading and promoting Thelma's book that relea

I'm reading and promoting Thelma's book that releases TODAY for two reasons:

1) I've been here, in the throes of infertility, and I know what helped and what hurt. But I've realized I need a refresher course because it's easy to slip into platitudes instead of sitting with someone in their pain, where they feel loved without solutions, jokes, or ambivalence.

2) Thelma *really* cares about Christians doing this well: recognizing infertility as the deep grief that it is (often over and over), avoiding the pitfalls of assigning spiritual fault to a medical problem, and sharing honest, helpful ways to make your friend feel valued in your life and God's kingdom.

If you want to know how to love your infertile friends well (whether it's for a season or a lifetime), get this book. Both Kindle and paperback are on Amazon (link in stories or at Thelma's bio).

#lovethemwellbook #lovethemwell #infertility #infertilitygrief #infertilityandthechurch

25 years ago today, this girl's life and faith wer

25 years ago today, this girl's life and faith were about to take a turn.

I was a sophomore at a small Christian college, loving life. A stomach ache turned into sepsis. Two days later, I was rushed to the ER in an ambulance with my blood pressure tanking.

Doctors opened me up to find a disaster in my abdomen. They worked hours to save me, removing broken intestines and trying to stabilize my body, which was on the verge of shutting down. I woke up in the ICU. No longer a student, I was a full-time patient fighting for tiny steps of healing and hope.

March 4: I don't think about this "traumaversary" much anymore. New dates, surgeries, and Big Medical Events have replaced it. At age 33, a diagnosis finally explained what perplexed the doctors 13 years prior.

But this year, I'm thinking about that 20-year-old girl.

I had no idea that God’s graceful path would be forged through hospital halls, strapped with wound vacs and ostomy supplies, and tethered to life-sustaining IVs.

My self-sustaining, proud faith became humble, helpless cries for mercy. "Just a glimpse of your goodness, God."

The ripping open of my body was also the dismantling of my theology-lite that expected (demanded?) ease (good girl = #blessed life). As infection and weak tissues were removed from my bowels, so was self-sufficiency and a skin-deep faith.

It took months to heal and longer to settle my heart. I'm still learning, but with certainty, I can tell that 20-year-old:

✨️Every fearful path was never walked alone. (Deuteronomy 31:8, Psalm 139)

✨️The scars are not shameful but a sacred reminder of my scar-battered Savior who understands suffering beyond comprehension. (1 Peter 2:24, Hebrews 4:15-16)

✨️God's goodness was there, with every cry of pain, whisper of doubt, and plea for help. (Psalm 34)

Two and a half decades later -- thank you, Jesus.

#medicaltrauma #veds #vasculareds #hegoesbeforeme #chronicillness #chronicfaith #ohhisgoodness #transformedfaith

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