Skip to main content

Gifts; My Fridge Door

New Years is here and Christmas is over. But Christmas cards and letters from family and friends keep appearing in my mailbox. Often, stashed within these bundles of good cheer and blessing, there's a family picture. I like that. I take those pictures and stick them to my fridge. 

This morning, while retrieving some milk for my tea, I looked at all those pictures; church family, biological family, "adopted" family, the children I used to care for, and other friends, and I rejoiced. How incredibly gracious and kind of God to give me so many people! 

He knows that I need people and He has provided the perfect amount of varying individuals to challenge and encourage me where I am, right now. Some of them drive me nuts and some are like a glass of cold water on a hot day. Both are important so that I can grow in godliness. 

Image result for pictures on fridge door

At the start of 2017, I met for a breakfast date with a dear friend who had a joyful face. Last night I ended the year with a couple who have become good friends. This past year has held incredible blessing, intense hurt, and possibly the biggest trial I have ever faced. There have been people walking with me through it all and I know my fridge door could never display all the characters in my story. 

Though all these people are an immense blessing, I know I cannot ultimately depend on them. In reality, they point me to the God whose image they bear. This God is great, and He is able to accomplish all that must be done. He can sooth my heart in bitter trials and He knows my every delight. 

He is faithful.

May the year before us grow us to love and trust Him more. May we point each other to our great King, who is worthy of all our allegiance and praise. And next year, may we all be able to say that we are holier and closer to our Maker than ever before. 



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Back in Time

I pulled into the laneway of a home that I'm sure would have looked quaint if I could have seen it through all the trees. The sign by the road read "hanging baskets and railroad ties" and lo and behold that was just what I was looking for (I mean the railroad ties, not the hanging baskets).  I parked close to the grass incase a buggy had to get by and slipped out of the red mini van. I didn't see anyone. That, however, does not mean that someone did not see me. I strolled over to look at the flowers to wait for someone to come out and see what the crazy girl with the pony-tail was doing on their property. A large dog, missing his right eye, managed to find me first and it was while I was petting this friendly, half blind, beast that the house seemed to spit out a young lady. She was wearing a long dress, an apron, and a head covering. She walked toward me with a smile and I recognized her from a singing I had gone to at the neighbors place a few months earlier. I ...

Hope in Sadness

 The Lord graciously made me with a happy disposition. My natural bent is joy. A couple years ago, however, something happened that shattered my heart. Due to the extreme emotional hurt, I was physically ill. I cried every day for weeks, then a couple times a week for months. For a long time I was sad. For years, the truest, deepest emotion I felt was sadness. When you live with sadness you get pretty good at carrying on. You live your normal life but where the world used to be full of colour, now your life is tinted by grief. If someone asked "how are you?" I could honestly say "good" because I was walking closely with God, but if someone had asked "how do you feel?" I would have had to reply "sad."  Psalm 66 became the theme of my emotional experience. "You brought us through fire and through water, you laid a crushing burden on our backs."  That's how I felt.  All the time.  Surrounded by fire and water, often burdened beyond wha...

Gifts; A Joyful Face

I sat at the booth and checked my phone to make sure my friend knew where to find me. She had just parked and was walking over. Perfect. I ordered a cup of tea and was contentedly sipping on it when she entered. Seeing me immediately, she made a beeline for our table, took her seat, and looked up.  Her face was filled with joy as she asked how I was.  "I'm good," I said, slightly amused. "Why are you so happy?" "Oh," she shrugged. "I just am."  "I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices." ~Psalm 16:8-9a "As in water face reflects face, so the heart of a man reflects the man." ~Proverbs 27:19 Amidst all the sorrow and anger and fighting of our broken world this woman's face stood out. The joy in her eyes reflected the joy of her heart; a heart that had spent time with Jesus.  Throug...