We're in the midst of a storm, flood waters are rising, tornadoes are touching down, trees are being torn limb from limb and darkness engulfs us. This is what we're facing. What we're battling. Day in and day out, we are surrounded, fighting our hardest to survive until tomorrow, just to wake up and be hit all over again.

But we don't give up. We don't sit down and cry. We don't sit and complain that we "deserve" something better.

We know that we are warriors, fighting for a better tomorrow. We know that there is something greater, guiding our every movement. We know that there is someone looking out for us, someone who will never allow this world to be truly unbearable. Someone who loves us unconditionally, fighting along our side in this game of survival.

Today's society is filled with one storm after another. We are surrounded by death and destruction. By hunger and pain and sorrow. There is prejudice and fighting and shifting blame. There is rioting and entitlement. There's disease and selfishness.

There are so many terrible things. Unspeakable things. Things that cause the strongest of people to break down into tears. To give up. To forget.

They forget the beauty hidden behind all the pain. They forget the smiles, the laughter, the companionship, the good. They forget the love. And to love.

There is a beautiful love in this world. Love that is so great and powerful that it must come from God, a being entirely composed of love. And for God to be able to give such a great and powerful love, then we know that he must be good.

My friends and I have an almost daily tradition that helps me to notice the love and beauty and goodness of God in my everyday life. We have a group message and every night before going to bed, I get about three or four little messages about why God is so good. We call them "GIGs."

GIG's can range from anything to everything. Stereotypical GIG's could be something like, "For my little brother's laugh, GIG," or "For tonight's beautiful sunset, GIG."

But they can be so much deeper and show us God's love and grace in a time we might not see it. "For giving me a chance to work on my patience, GIG," or "For helping me to see my faults, GIG" or "For helping me to understand that what I want might not be what I need, GIG."

GIGs give you a chance to look at your day, to see how God has worked in your life. To see that he was there by your side through your hardest trials and the greatest of joys. It's a chance to look at God's hands moving in your life, to see the purpose behind so many things you might not have understood at the time.

We live in a very hard time. Our society is totally whacked and everyone is looking for someone to blame. No one is taking responsibility for their actions and strong families are on the verge of extinction. Take time today to pause, look at your life, own up to your actions, and see the good of God working in your daily life, because, I promise you, he is there.