A New Year

2018 is over. And what an unexpected year it was. I did not expect to move house. I did not expect to start working again. I definitely did not expect the two to happen at the same time. I did not expect to make such good new friends. I did not expect my sister to move to Ethiopia. I did not expect to dislocate my patella and be in a brace for 6 weeks. Lots of things happened that I didn’t expect.

The last week or so I have been thinking about this new year. What is going to happen? There are a few things I can expect. I am planning on going to Ethiopia and we are planning a family trip to England. Peter is starting school so I can expect lots of respiratory tract infections. I know that Tim will get more teeth and will climb even more furniture. Peter will get taller and will talk more. The sun will rise each day. Beyond that I do not know.

I do not know what this year holds. It could hold unspeakable joy or it could hold tragedy. It could hold adventure and change or monotony and routine. It could hold laughter or tears. Peace or trials. The truth is, I just don’t know.

But one thing I do know – God knows what this year holds. He sees all the days of it; He sees all the good days and the bad days; the blessings and the challenges. He holds each day in His hand. As I have thought of this I have felt very strongly that this is a year when I will have to lean on Him; I will have to learn to be helpless and to trust in His strength. I have a slightly ominous feeling because I do not know if that means I have a hard year ahead, perhaps I do. However, I have chosen not to focus on that. I have chosen to focus on what I know I have – a God who is worth following, worth trusting, worth leaning on.

We do not know what this year will bring – I pray that it will be good things; I pray that it will be joy and adventure and love. But even if it isn’t – even if it is hardship and trials and suffering I know that God is there in it; that He is worthy and that He is good. May we all learn to lean on Him this year no matter what happens – in the good and the bad.