Mostly What God Does: Reflections on Faith, Family, and Finding the Extraordinary in the Ordinary

Riassunto di Mostly What God Does

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   When Morning News Meets Eternal Truth

   

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   What does a morning show anchor discover when she stops performing faith and starts living it? Savannah Guthrie wakes before dawn each day to a document called the "Overnight Note"-a grim catalog of worldwide tragedies compiled by the night staff. Mass shootings. Natural disasters. Senseless deaths. It's the kind of relentless exposure to human suffering that could easily erode anyone's faith. Yet somewhere between the makeup chair and the camera lights, Guthrie found something that changed everything: a single sentence that rewrote her entire understanding of God. This isn't a book about having all the answers. It's about discovering the one answer that makes all the questions bearable.

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   The Tattoo That Changed Everything

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   At fifty-one, Guthrie got her first tattoo-three words in her late father's handwriting: "All My Love." The phrase carries double meaning: her earthly father's affection and a divine truth from Eugene Peterson's translation of Ephesians: "Mostly what God does is love you." After decades of religious complexity, this simple statement shattered everything she thought she knew. Peterson's contemporary language broke through years of baggage. Here was God-not as cosmic accountant or distant judge, but as one who actively loves, sees, and delights in us. The force that spoke galaxies into existence delights in you because of who He is. This became what Guthrie calls the "Love Triangle"-God's love flows to us, we reflect it back to Him, and it spills outward to others. No complicated formulas or religious checklists. Just love received and love shared.

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   The Hidden Third Commandment

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   Guthrie had weaponized "Love your neighbor as yourself" against her own heart, mistaking self-loathing for humility-a pattern where self-flagellation masquerades as holiness. Deeper reflection revealed the "hidden third commandment": love yourself. Not narcissism, but seeing yourself through God's eyes. From creation declaring humans "very good" to psalms celebrating how we are "fearfully and wonderfully made," Scripture affirms our inherent worth. True humility isn't self-humiliation-it's recognizing our need for God while accepting His assessment of our value. This transforms everything. When you believe God loves you-flaws, failures, and all-you can serve others without destroying yourself, accept criticism without crumbling, and celebrate others' success without feeling diminished. Self-love doesn't make us self-centered-it makes us secure enough to genuinely love others.

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   Parenting as Divine Metaphor

   Becoming a mother at forty-two gave Guthrie an unexpected theology lesson. When her son Charley screamed "I hate you!" during tantrums, her love never wavered. She glimpsed how God relates to us-loving not because of who we are, but because of who He is. This insight extends to suffering. Like a mother monitoring a sick child's fever through the night, God remains present in our pain. Guthrie recalls childhood fears-thunderstorms, doctor visits, school anxieties-when she'd imagine holding God's hand. That childlike trust offers a model for adult faith. Even bedtime prayers became spiritual education. Her children's heartfelt blessings, interrupted by random questions about gymnastics, revealed how prayer doesn't require formal perfection. Sometimes after sibling conflicts, she'd slip in prayer-disguised corrections: "Dear Lord, help Vale not to sass." This reminded her of the Pharisee who prayed, "Thank you, God, that I'm not like other people." We often do this in conflicts-asking God to help others see they're wrong rather than examining ourselves. Through daily interactions, parenting illuminated God's character, transforming ordinary moments into sacred lessons.

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   Tuning Into the Divine Frequency

   God exists in the eternal now. His name revealed to Moses-"I AM"-speaks to constant presence. Like a radio station continuously broadcasting, God is perpetually present whether we tune in or not. Our spiritual practices don't summon Him; they help us become aware of His existing presence. This awareness requires internal stillness. God's voice often comes not as thunderous declaration but as an assertive thought that seems to originate outside ourselves. It carries distinct characteristics: it says something unexpected, aligns with Scripture, brings peace even in difficulty, and doesn't merely echo what we want to hear. God speaks our unique language-through people who cross our path at precisely the right moment, through song lyrics that suddenly resonate, or through wordless impressions. Guthrie shares when God's surprising message "I am rescuing you" came during deep suffering-not about immediate relief but understanding the painful path itself was the rescue. Prayer becomes vital for accessing divine presence, even when words feel impossible. Romans 8:26 assures us the Spirit "prays through groans too deep for words," transforming sighs and tears into meaningful prayer. Success isn't measured by emotional highs but by showing up consistently. When prayer feels impossible, Guthrie suggests "pray with your imagination"-visualizing positive outcomes without forcing them. These agenda-free prayers transform our perspective and capacity for compassion.

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   From Fear to Trust: The Long Game

   For nearly a decade, Guthrie's mother gave her the same Christmas gift-a Christian journal with daily scripture prompts. These became spiritual diaries, raw conversations with God. Looking back, she was shocked by how self-centered and fearful her younger self had been. Page after page revealed anxious pleading: "Free me, save me, lead me, show me." She feared God's plan would involve "humiliation and painful lessons," like a child trying to avoid punishment. Ironically, God taught her trust through the very humiliations and painful lessons she'd feared. When careers shifted, relationships ended, and plans collapsed, she discovered God's presence remained constant. She learned to trust not because terrible things never happened, but because they did-and He was there. Her fear of calamity was far worse than any actual hardship, because fear leaves out one crucial factor: God's presence in trials. God works things out not toward positive circumstances but toward increasing intimacy with Him. He plays the long game-a great mystery extending far beyond human understanding. Like a chess master infinite moves ahead, His goal is to bring us closer, using every circumstance to deepen relationship. Among gloomy journal entries, Guthrie discovered one gem: God loves her, protects her, and knows what's best. This wasn't just theological knowledge but deeply personal truth-foundation for mature faith based not on fear but trust in God's genuine love.

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   Choosing Hope in a Broken World

   Every morning, Guthrie confronts the "Overnight Note"-a depressing litany of mass shootings, crashes, deaths, and disasters. This constant exposure raises a profound question: How do we maintain hope amid so much brokenness? She's wrestled with doubts, considering the possibility there is no God, no heaven, that beliefs are just comforting fictions. But she's reached a personal conclusion: "I would rather be hopeful and wrong than hopeless and right." Living in cynicism only compounds suffering. Every day we must choose hope anew. The ultimate "Why, God?" question is why an all-powerful God permits suffering when He could prevent it. Guthrie met Nelba Marquez-Greene, who lost her six-year-old daughter in the Sandy Hook massacre. Despite unimaginable loss, Nelba maintained faith, though "with a lot of questions for him." Sometimes faith means living with unanswered questions. As Tim Keller said, any answer would be "like a bucket filled only three-quarters of the way." God doesn't give us those answers-He gives us Himself. While God doesn't cause pain, He transforms it into promise, turning suffering into meaning. Like Joseph told brothers who sold him into slavery: "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good." Mostly what we can do is love people who suffer. When they feel love from us, they experience God's love tangibly. In a world selling productivity and mindfulness, we've forgotten the most powerful truth: mostly what God does is love us.

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