I can still see her bright smiling face. The year was 1987 and I had been hospitalized for observations with my high risk pregnancy. A routine glucose test in my sixth month rewarded me with almost a week under scrutiny to determine my medical plan to keep my levels in healthy range. That’s when I met her, an older black woman who cleaned my room. She was very meticulous and everything I could observe about her caused me to realize she truly loved her work, which to me–a mere onlooker–automatically caused me to wonder if after a long day cleaning hospital rooms, did it wear her out? Her answer, wrapped in that beautiful smile revealing bright teeth that accompanied the glow on her face, said it all. 

“Oh, no, quite the opposite. I get SO much satisfaction when I clean a room. I lean back on my mop and say to myself ‘my, my, my, aint that purty?’ 

I’m ashamed I don’t remember her name, but as I said, I’ll never forget her smile, her pride in being purposeful and joyful as she went about her duties with not merely my room, but several others, too. And she did it every day, and judging by her age, for a good stretch of years.

Purpose. I wrote about that a few weeks ago and I entertained a thought to revisit this word. I was drawn to Genesis Chapter 1 which gives us the account of creation. It doesn’t take long to read this chapter which records God’s work, taking six days to form everything we see, touch, and smell–and those things beyond like far away galaxies! In addition God gave a command on the fifth day for all creatures in the sea and birds of the air to be fruitful and multiply. Later, this same command is given to Adam and Eve–after being blessed by Him! Purpose.

Upon completion each of those six days God declared that “it was good”. Yet, included in His kind of leaning back and looking over everything He had accomplished He emphasized that His work was “VERY good”. 

A bit of digging taught me–teaches all of us–that the Hebrew word for “good” is tov. It means beautiful, functional, harmonious, and beneficial. EACH part of creation fulfilled its purpose. In the Hebrew which was expanded by Him saying His work was “very good” –tov mo’ed–we learn that what He had made was completion and perfection of an entire interrelated system. Wrap your mind around that for a quick moment.

In Chapter 2 of Genesis we read the account of man’s creation, how God gave Adam purpose by having him work the garden. He got to name ALL the creatures on earth! It’s here also we see God saying “it’s not good for man to be alone”. Thus, Eve is formed from Adam’s rib. Marriage between a man and a woman is established by God, and their purpose is to be “fruitful and increase in number” (verse 28) Purpose.

Sadly, everything that God called “good” or “very good” has come under attack due to the sinful nature of man. Admittedly, there’s not enough room in one article to articulate the destruction and eroding of God’s beautiful beginning in Eden, arriving to our world as we know it today. Man has done a good job of counteracting everything to no longer be 100% beautiful, functional, harmonious, or beneficial. Schemes and selfish motives have robbed us of the interracial system that God put in place for us until sin entered through Adam and Eve. But God!

Nothing comes to God as a surprise or a declaration of “whoa, I didn’t see that coming!” Because He is all knowing He had a plan when things fell apart. There’s no real answer for how long between Adam and Eve being placed in the garden before satan came to have a chat, eventually leading them into darkness. Was it 10 days? A 100? Was it 100 years? What answer does matter is that Jesus and a plan of redeeming us was already in place. I believe that God–as a triune God–Father, Son and Holy Spirit wrote that plan before verse one in Chapter 1…’In the beginning….”

Purpose. Today,  and anytime for that matter, take a good look around you. Everything you see, touch, and smell was created. It all has purpose. It all was called “good” thousands of years ago. Six days of work  was called “very good” and you, me, all of mankind is included in that declaration! Like the wonderful woman who cleaned my hospital room we, too, can lean back now and declare to God regarding what we observe and say “my, my, my, ain’t that purty?”  And good.