This past year was such a joyous year with my precious hubby as we treasured many sweet and enjoyable times together at home doing life together as well as traveling to new places to visit friends and family family both far and near. It was also a year full of changes with new job opportunities, growth, and gift of new life with our first little baby on the way (due this coming summer!) as well as the pain of seeing others around me lose those they love.
Summing up 2018, I'd say this past year was marked by:
- God's faithful PROVISIONS amidst life's ups and downs and uncertainties:
- Opportunities to trust God and find my security in Him amidst the CHANGE from new jobs, to different circumstances, to the gift of finding out we are having a little one and realizing the changes to come in our little family and the new joys and responsibilities ahead.
Through all the emotional rollercoasters of this past year and all the bends and twists in the path the God had me on, He taught me to trust the Him to daily provide everything I needed from wisdom and understanding for my job, endurance each day, joy and peace in the midst of others dealing with pain both at work and around me as well as financial provisions.
At the end of every day, and every month, and every semester, Miguel and I lifted our hands in praise to the Lord for how He clearly provided and met our every needs.
Specifically, this past year God taught me:
- to trust Him to provide: financially as I transitioned to working PRN (on call) for Select Rehab and not always knowing my schedule from week to week. God always provided enough hours to work each month. God also provided spiritually, and mentally and physically to keep up with the work loads, to learn and apply myself, and provide care in my job when I had no idea what to do. Everyday my Heavenly Father provided in every way for exactly whatever I needed to serve Him at home and on the job.
- to remember that He is my Anchor: amidst life's changes (the joys and the challenging ones) and that my confidence lies in Him.
- to take time praise Him for all His precious daily gifts: the precious gift of a loving, joyful, godly, and caring husband; the gift of new life of our new little one on the way; the gift of precious friends and family who care for me; the gift of His Word to comfort, guide, and direct my hungering and weary soul.
Looking ahead to 2019, I know it will be another year of even more changes, blessings, challenges, and opportunities. Miguel will begin his internships, our little family of 2 will expand to a family of 3, we will move to a new apartment, and my job situation has the potential to change again.
My human self is tempted to feel like I must DO many things to prepare and keep up with it all.... yet the Lord has been reminding me that the only thing I really can and should do is ABIDE in Him and let Him work in and through me as I encounter each change and season.
As I abide in my Heavenly Father, spend time in His presence, and seek to know Him more this coming year, I pray that:
- that my fears would be replaced with His "peace that passeth all understanding,"
- that my roots in Him would deepen as I abide in Him and that my confidence of who I am in Him would grow so that I am not swayed but the opinions of others.
- that I would overflow with the fruits of His Spirit as I abide with my King and let Him work in me.
God has given me another year to invest my time and talents and gifts for Him. He has given me seeds to sow this coming year. It is my prayer that I abide in Him and sow the seeds of the fruits of His spirit and to invest in what truly matters for eternity.
By His grace alone will I be able to accomplish this prayer.
"Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit in itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me." - John 15:4
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." - Romans 15:13
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