Oh 2018.
What a year you were.
The past two years have been… busy. And hard.
And filled with lots of ups and downs.
To be honest? The last few months of 2018 were pretty low.
I’ve been dealing with a lot, and it’s amazing how quickly everything goes isn’t it?
I don’t know about you, but when one hard thing is happening it consumes me, and instead of focusing on all of the other good things, that unhappiness spreads to everything until it’s overtaken everything.
I’m kind of an all or nothing type of person.
I’m either doing really well, and being super disciplined…
or I’m not.
I used to think I would be able to overcome this pendulum tendency that I have. That there would be this miraculous moment where God would heal me from these extremes and I would just *poof!* be done struggling with it for good.
But over the last year God has been teaching me that there are struggles in life that I must simply learn to rely on God through…
not over, not around, but through.
These are the kind of struggles that I will hold with me until I’m done here on earth.
There will be times of goodness in the struggle, and there will be times of pain.
But there won’t be a moment of complete victory… not while I’m in this broken and incomplete body. Rather there will be daily whispers and calls to come to Him, and to find rest for my soul.
There will always be a need for a daily (sometimes hourly) submitting of my will to His.
Because this life isn’t meant to free of hard work is it?
It’s meant to be a slow process of drawing closer and closer to Him… sometimes taking a step back, sometimes taking two steps forward.
But the point, and this is important:
is that He is with me for all of it.
“I lift up my eyes to the mountain, where does my help come from?”
There is no failure in trusting Him.
And this is what it means to take up your cross… this daily submitting to His will and His purposes for me.
This trusting in His goodness even when it seems as if there is none.
And in the moments of bleak, remembering that He is there, He is present, He is willing.
So this year, out of a desperate need to draw closer to my Savior, my 2019 word of the year must be submit.
I pray this is a year where I learn the unforced rhythms of grace.
Happy 2019 dear Truncation readers. I’m so thankful for you, and I pray you also find rest this year.
What have you chosen to focus in on this year?
Until next time,
Karin
My verses for the year:
Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG) “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Psalm 121:1-4 (ESV) ”
I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
Love this, Karin. Happy New Year!
Thank you Helena! Happy New Year to you as well!
I can’t believe how big your kiddos are starting to look! Happy New Year! <3
I can’t either! Happy New Year to you as well!
I really love seeing your faith in this post. What an excellent word for your year. I chose HOPE for my word. Felt a bit lost and hopeless in 2018 for several seasons and this year I want to hope in His goodness and faithfulness towards me! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Sarah! I love your word as well.
Thank you! Love this post.
I’m glad it resonated Beth!
Beautiful. Obsessed with your blog.
You’re so kind!