A Note on the New Year

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise."  Isaiah 43:18-21

There are a couple of stories which will interconnect regarding the verse and this photo.  First the photo... This was taken during the week of Christmas of my Aunt's Christmas tree.  It was a very different Christmas for everyone involved.  My cousin Gabe passed away on December 19th, the Saturday before Christmas, to everyone's utter shock.  My husband and I were on vacation that week and had determined that we were going to go up and stay as long as we needed to.  My mom decided she would come out and arrived the next day.  We headed up the Monday before Christmas and were joined soon after by my other Aunt, to be comfort and support for my Aunt, cousin Jenn and Gabe's widow Elaine and son Matthew.  God did some marvelous things during that week.  So, this photo came to represent the week... there was pain and grief spotted with the color and the light of hope and joy and love and peace that was descending upon our family.  My Aunt and my cousin have expressed their appreciation and how blessed they were that we all joined them for their unique Christmas. Unfortunately, to end an already exhausting and difficult year filled with change in this way really took much of the excitement for a new year from me.  In reality I just wanted time to stop for a moment or for Jesus to return and whisk His saints away.  But that was not God's will, so I must continue. 

The verse... On New Year's Day after I'd taken my mom to the airport, a brief nap and sending my husband off to work I had the house to myself.  I was very sad, exhausted and not thrilled to begin 2010.  I felt like it would be just another year of difficulties and I would find myself a year later in 2011 more exhausted.  But this was not God's will either.  As I sat and cried out to God of my frustration and my petitions for Him to ease the trials, He met me in my living room on my couch.  I was enveloped in peace and heard "Behold I am doing a new thing."  My tears slowed and my breathing relaxed and I immediately grabbed my Bible to find this verse which I so well loved.  Through God's Spirit and Isaiah, God showed me His will for 2010:  I am doing a new thing!  I love that the NIV puts and exclamation mark at the end of that part because I needed that exclamation mark... I needed it to take me out of my slump. 

I realized that for over a year I had begun pulling away and closing myself off from things like ministry and service.  I was getting burned out and sick of people who just wanted to go to church and see a show and go home and not do anything about it.  I felt like I didn't really know many believers who were seeking and chasing after God whole heartedly.  (I need to interupt:  I just have to say that there are many believers in my life who are wholly serving God and seeking Him in and outside of Sunday mornings. God began to bring those people into our lives early 2009.)  Adam and I had only recently started to really seek God after a season of complacency.  I then grew complacent again and after beginning to attend a new church in spring, I didn't try very hard to get involved, which is not the way God made me.  I wanted to, but I had no vision, I felt little passion.  I realize now that an opportunity that was offered to me before I left the old church awakened in me something.  I love to design, I love to create, I love art in all of it's vast forms and I love that our church encourages that.  God is doing a new thing and I am excited to see what ministry and areas of service He will call me to.  A funny thing happened, our pastor talked from the heart about the vision of our church that Sunday and I was extremely convicted and convinced further that I was not alone.  I could not go home and not do anything about it!

The connection... this photo now represents 2010 for me.  My awakening, my epiphany.  January 6, 2009 God showed me and Adam that we needed to make some seriously big and seriously difficult changes and that we may not come out unscathed.  January 6, 2010, God showed me that there is a place for me in our new church family.  I serve an incredible God that I just can't praise enough! 

I hope that 2010 you find the color and light of God's plan and love and desires for your life.  God bless!