This was my new ornament for the Christmas tree this year and it spoke volumes. It was so perfect for the year the Lord gave me in 2015. Every season of life certainly tells a new story. Whether we embrace what the Lord is doing or not, is up to us. I learned to embrace the "stories" the Lord gave me this year. Let me explain.
As I began 2015, I "hoped" the year would be a great one. I prayed that the year would be less dramatic than the previous two had been. We had experienced a lot of deaths and struggles in our families and I just wanted the Lord to allow things to be a bit "calmer" for a time.
But that was not HIS plan.
He had me write in that first blog post in January 2015 about being willing to be a tree planted by the waters that would bring forth fruit in its season and would not wither. I was that tree that was planted - little did I realize how He would force me to grow some fruit and not wither!! I also can now look back on the cross-stitch pattern of my year and see the colors unfold in ways I could never have imagined in January 2015. In fact, just recently He allowed one or two spaces of my year to be filled in that had been blank for some time.
I had many personal battles this year. Most of which many people would never have known. And that is just fine - because it is not for everyone to know the secret things of the Lord.
He was pruning my tree and it hurt. He was creating new life in me that would bring forth new leaves and, at the times I went through each growing season, I could not see their newness until later. He was decorating the needlework pattern of my life with vivid colors that would stand out in glory to Him.
While the pruning hurt - and sometimes cut very deeply - I can honestly say right now that I am so thankful for what He did in my life this year. As I look to 2016 the Lord has given me truths from Him of which I will carry into the new year. These truths are from what He allowed in my life in 2015.
I have just begun a four week mini Bible study and am enjoying it thus far. I have already learned much in the few days I have been doing it. I will be the first to admit that I was bucking the Lord a bit when He kept directing me to do this certain study. I wanted to "go big" and get into another Bible study I had found - and that one will come this year, Lord willing. BUT - the Lord kept putting this one in front of me. What helped me finally stop bucking the Lord was what I read in Amy Carmichael's book Candles in the Dark:
"But go on hoping. Again and again when I had all but lost hope I used to go to the God of Hope and ask for the gift of hope. Never be shaken in hope. Never be cooled in love. Never get tired of loving and hoping - yes, and believing."
Do you see a reoccurring word in her writings there?
HOPE.
The mini Bible study the Lord led me to was just simply: Hope by Heather Bixler
As I began the Bible study, the Lord put together 2015 in a nutshell in this way from Romans 5:2-5
2 Through [Jesus] we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,
4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,
5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
I wrote this down in my Bible study journal:
"Hope comes from having gone through trials."
suffering - perseverance - character - HOPE
God loves me so much He chooses to allow suffering to bring me to Him. I can boldly say at the end of 2015 that my suffering through the year has taught me to persevere - there were days when I did not want to do so. I wanted to give up. But the Lord gave me the strength to continue and in doing so He built up my character in ways I never would have imagined. Now my HOPE is in the Lord more strongly and deeper. For that I am grateful.
In this Hope there are treasures that cannot be taken from me. As Proverbs 24:14 states - when wisdom is found it is a reward and my hope will not be cut off! I have gained much wisdom in the Lord. I have gained a closer relationship with Him through it all. Those treasures are the ones that moth and rust cannot destroy or thieves cannot steal.
Another verse that has become precious to me as of late is Hebrews 6:19a:
19 Which hope [in the Lord] we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast,
The Lord is the Anchor of my soul and I will rejoice. He is sure and steadfast - and has proven that time and time again this year. I found an anchor charm for my bracelet and I bought it for this verse alone - to remind me that my hope is in the Lord in whatever way my future lies before me.
If I had gone through 2015 with an easier time as I had "hoped" in January, I would not have come out with knowing my Anchor of Hope is secure in the Lord. I praise Him for what He has done in the year 2015.
I now look towards 2016 with a HOPE that I never fully understood as deeply as I do now.
The Lord is already there. He's got 2016 in His hands and I am safe within.
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