Makes one stop & review the past 365 days typically. This morning on instagram they asked for your BEST NINE. Meaning your best nine photos or moments posted to instagram ~ I smiled as I scrolled through the photos. I've had an AMAZING 2015!!!
I did not say I had an easy 2015 ~ all those wonderful moments beyond measure were front seat, however as I look in the rear view mirror, there were some hiccups and hurts and a few how come Lord's along the way.
God used the hiccups, hurts and how come Lord's to speak to me ~ He brought forth so many happy moments and in the midst sprinkled in some insight, think about it and trust Me moments as well. Thank you Jesus!
This morning as I prepare my heart to move into 2016 I do so and I struggle a bit. I'm at a place where I feel God is moving me, but I don't know how or where or what it means. Yesterday as we were driving home from Idaho, it was (somewhat) quiet in the car and as I watched out the window I prayed... I admitted "I don't see it Lord. I don't see the door for which you desire me to walk through. I don't see a window with a crack calling me in. I am unsure Lord what all of this means. I trust you Lord completely and I desire to serve you. Lord, I am asking your to speak to me, to show me. I'm not finding my way Lord." and He was quiet.
I trust the quiet, I trust Him. I trust Jesus is up to something, movement is happening even if I'm not seeing it. I don't believe Jesus plants seeds of desire in us only to let them sit there. I believe He prepares the soil before putting the seed into the ground to grow, brings light, water and allows them to stir under the soil as He works preparing the growth. All in His time.
Our pastor had a very good analogy last Sunday. A seed which will produce a tree (Let's say Maple!) is not only a seed. It is a Maple tree. A Maple tree inside a seed, waiting to grow. I believe my desires are much like this. God has planted the seed. It is there and only HE KNOWS what kind of seed it is, what it will produce. When it is to be placed within the soil, when it will grown and come to be. I trust Him in this.
So as I look to 2016, I do so with a happy heart of all the memories both good and hard in 2015. Our family had loss. Our family had growth. Our family had much happiness. Our family had God.
As I look to 2016 I trust Jesus is going to walk with us. He is going to bring happiness in abundance. We may have hiccups and heart aches, but in Him we too will have growth and healing.
Jesus is a might, glorious amazing father ~ He is looking into the future He has already planned for us. He knows what is coming! He is smiling, He is ready and He is waiting for us to follow Him.
Today as we prepare to celebrate our So'Long to 2015 may we do so with hearts of gratitude for all that come our way, both happy and hard. May we embrace our faith and thank Jesus for walking with us in 2015 and invite Him to lead the way in 2016. SO MUCH to be excited about... a wide open journey which we've never gone! Experiences await we've never had, Joys we've never experienced and Happy for which will be multiplied! I am so ready to reach out and let God lead me. Bring on 2016 - I am ready and willing and wanting to go where ever it is Jesus leads me!
Dear Lord, my prayer is that you will bless the person reading this, that you will reminding each of us of blessings overlooked in the past year and you will remind us to recall when things were difficult and you were right there ~ always there with us. I ask Lord you lift our burdens from us, you open doors of opportunity, help us to find balance in our finances, our families find peace, our hurts are healed,our illnesses cured, our joys multiplied. I pray Lord we lean into you when things are difficult and we embrace and celebrate with you when things are good. I pray Lord this coming year be a time in our lives when you are so evident in our day to day routine we wake excited to spend time with you. I pray Lord you make each of us mindful of you and your presents. Remind us Lord you are the keeper of all time and when we make time for you there will always be more than enough. Let us come to you daily with thankful hearts. Let us open our eyes, our ears, our hearts and our arms to see, hear and feel you all around us.
Make us brave in you Lord. May our courage to serve you be so overwhelming. May our souls be filled with you and may we go out and stir the world ~ may we bring people to your Promise Land Lord. May our lives speak more than our lips and may we serve as missionaries in our homes, workplaces, schools and communities. May we bring gladness and joy to you in 2016 Lord. Thank you for our many abundant blessings!