One of my all-time favorite films is The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly, an epic 1966 Italian spaghetti western starring Clint Eastwood as “the Good,” Lee Van Cleef as “the Bad,” and Eli Wallach as “the Ugly.”  The three characters are forced to work together to find hidden treasure. The final scene is an iconic Mexican stand-off ending with Clint Eastwood’s character out-gunning and out-smarting the bad and the ugly and riding off with the gold.  Watch the film for yourself, but it goes without much need for explanation that our human nature and our life experiences are a combination of Good, Bad, and Ugly things. Whatever you are struggling with, bad or ugly, think on the good things and ride off with the gold, the treasure of healing wholeness the Creator Savior freely gives.

Good things don’t just come for those who wait, but as a beloved Bible verse Romans 8:28 explains: “All things work together for good,” for those who love God and live with intentionality and purpose to see good and do good. A good thing is pure and true and a good person has the best intentions for you and your interests. Someone who sees good things and the good in people look at the positive side of life and the beauty, hope, and goodness that are present.

Who are the good people in your life who see you and offer beauty and goodness? Be intentional in spending time with them or joining groups or community that offer good things.

On the other side, it is certain that bad and ugly things happen to us that are painful and life changing. As a volunteer advocate walking alongside women who have experienced trauma, and as someone who has experienced deep loss and physical pain, I am well aware of the need for good things and good people who can help those who have experienced trauma to see and experience the good in all things.

Pendulation is a trauma healing model in somatic therapy developed by Dr. Peter Levine that involves going between a bad place of trauma or disturbance to a good place of calm and healing. His therapy exercise taps into our innate healing process by moving between the painful or fearful to hopeful or joyful, just as a pendulum moves from one side to another.

Instead of staying stuck on one side in the pain, somatic therapy encourages movement to a calm relaxed place that acknowledges joy or good things that bring peace. The idea is to move from being stuck or persisting in pain and allow a natural move to enjoy good things that bring pleasure.  The movement is not really time bound or linear, but can become a rhythm of healing with practice.

The pendulation exercise below might be best practiced with a therapist or group. If you feel confident to self practice, take enough time and quiet space for working through the meditation.

For persons of faith in Christ, we can pursue Good Things by turning to God’s Word, worship music, prayer, and contemplation in community. As the famous Christian hymn encourages: “Count your blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.” We look to God to fill our open hands with good things as the Word of God tells us:

When you Lord God open your hands, we are satisfied with good things.
All (created beings) look to you (the Lord) to give them their food at the proper time. When you give it to them, they gather it up, when you open your hand,
they are satisfied with good things. See Psalm 104:27-30
“Every good gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Lights.” James 1:17

 All nature looks to God for what it needs in each season. When God opens his hands in provision, we are satisfied with good things. Good things. The Spirit of God moves with us in every season, through painful things and good things. As we live, breathe, and move with God every day, we will see the Spirit with us through this life, filling us with presence, power, and peace.

Good Things Breath Prayer Exercise. Start with a simple breathing exercise. Take an easy full breath, and on the exhalation make the sound woo, vibrating down through your belly and out.

You can continue with a breath prayer from Psalm 104: O Lord I open my hands. Fill them with good things. 

On the inhale pray: “O Lord I open my hands” and on the exhale pray: “Fill them with good things.”

Good Things Inventory. Make a list of good people and good things that bring you pleasure. Count or name your blessings. Keep these ideas in your journal or phone notes so that when you are stuck in the pain, you can break the cycle and move towards these resources to bring healing.

It’s a good thing is a common idiom often used to express gratitude for not only what has happened but what did not happen as a result. Repeat this from your own experiences:

“It’s a good thing that …”

Tell it to Jesus. When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around. Willie Nelson