I've heard too many people complain about 2018 and wish for a much better new year. I hope each of us DOES have a great new year! However here's what I think is the truth:
Each year is full of both blessing and trial. Life is filled with both heartache and joy. Through difficulty, it's to easy to forget the good.
2018 was probably one of the most challenging years in my memory. Never before have I had to learn to constantly deny myself, take up my cross, and look to Jesus. There's been pain, confusion, heartache, and disappointment.
And yet, 2018 was also my favorite year yet! How can this be?
Because when we go through challenges and learn to more fully surrender to Christ, we simultaneously learn more about the goodness, faithfulness, kindness, and whole love of God. I've learned pieces of God this year that leave me in absolute awe and wonder. It's blows my mind, and I cherish each day of learning - even if the learning has come through tears and struggle. Oh to learn more about experiencing God's love! Because of this, I super heart loved 2018!!
2019 started off with a bang for us. I can't share much of the story, but the short story is this: We were supposed to welcome a newborn foster baby into our home yesterday. We've been praying for weeks about this need and preparing our new 5-year old for the changes ahead.
Then, as so often happens in foster cases, the plans suddenly changed and Baby went somewhere else. I'm sorry I can't share more details. But will you please pray for Baby? Pray security for him. God filled us with love for him long before he was born. We hurt over this loss, especially for the loss our 5-year old is experiencing.
God be near.
Oh, but you can be sure that He is. And it is because of this truth that we know that 2019 will be much the same as 2018. Full of both difficulty and ease, beauty and struggle, because this is what life on earth serving a faithful God offers each of us.
May we choose to seek Him and cling to love and joy as God gives us all that He has planned for us in the coming year!
