Good News is on the Way

There’s a memorable line in one of my favorite workout songs, “Float On” by Modest Mouse. Isaac Brock croons, “good news is on the way” following his run-in with a cop car, losing his job and being pickpocketed. He sings, “good news will work its way to all them plans”, even when the bad news lands. I love the beat of this song because it so easily pumps me up when I’m at the gym. I also love it because it’s a reminder of when plans go haywire or you lose your way, there is always good news on the way. It’s like the old sarcastic saying, “It can’t get any worse”.

I’m reminded of growing up a Yankees fan and seeing Mariano Rivera warm-up in the bullpen. No matter what the Yankees’ lead was during the ball game, Rivera was as close to a sure thing as any other reliever to ever play baseball. I can almost hear the New York announcers commentating that “good news is on the way”. Rivera was in the bullpen and would save the game.

As a tennis player, you sometimes lose your way on the court. Your serve slips up, you lose a couple poorly played points or you just can’t get in the rhythm of the game. I’ve known a few players (myself included) who got stronger as the match carried on. I remember watching a bunch of three-set matches in high school and college and thinking to myself, “good news is on the way”. The best is yet to come. I knew the players I was observing were going to find their rhythm, and once they did, the match would be theirs.

As a Human Resources professional and former supervisor, I’ve been fortunate enough to witness the rise of individual employees’ careers. I like to think I’m intuitive and a good reader of people’s skills and personalities. It’s a great feeling to know that an employee’s best is yet to come when they are promoted. You can sometimes tell who is going to stand out from the crowd and excel in their position. When employees who are overlooked for promotions get frustrated, I certainly want to tell them “good news is on the way”. Soon enough, they will be given an opportunity to advance. Sometimes you have to go through a dry spell before your flourish.

A year ago this August, I was having a bad day. I can’t recall the exact situation, but I know it brought me to tears. The fact that I can’t recall the situation is proof enough that good news comes even when the bad news lands. In retrospect, things are never as bad as they seems, right? My boyfriend at the time, who is now my husband, was the one to comfort me. He pointed to my left ring finger and simply said, “think about what’s coming”. At this point in our relationship, we both knew an engagement was in the cards. It was just a matter of getting the perfect ring and him surprising me in the perfect way. When he reminded me that “good news is on the way”, it definitely helped me perk up and get past my troubles. He continues to be the more optimistic one in our marriage during tough times.

Shifting gears slightly, I was more than saddened to hear about another college campus shooting this past week. Every time this happens, I fail to make sense of how hatred can overpower someone and motivate them to act in such a horrendous way. As a Christian, I know that “good news is on the way”. No matter what happens in this life, Jesus IS the good news. He will bring good news beyond what anyone can imagine.

Wherever you find yourself in life, you can live knowing that good news will follow.