Thursday, January 13, 2011

Remember Not The Former Things

As I reflect back on 2010, I have come to the conclusion that it can either be remembered as one of the worst years or one of the best years of my life. It was full of challenges that are just typical challenges of life but others totally blindsided me. It's the blindsided ones that seemed to post the biggest frustrations but ultimately provided the greatest lessons and blessings...I guess that's how life works!

I came across a couple of scriptures that just LEAPT off the page...these are scriptures I have read hundreds of times in the past but considering where my heart and head were that particular day, they gave new meaning to what I was going through.

Isaiah 43:18-19...
"Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness , and rivers in the desert."

This was an "Ah Ha Moment" at its finest for me!! I felt great comfort in these precious words knowing that the Lord really does know me and that He has my best interest at heart. To "remember not the former things" struck me like a bolt of lightening. Brad and I encountered many changes in 2010...some were to be expected, some were wonderful, some were painful and some were unexpected...again, that's just life! But it isn't always easy to endure changes. It seemed, at times, that we "lost" some things that seemed so precious. At times it seemed as though we had no direction. In all reality, it brought us to our knees and we found more direction and more blessings than we could ever have imagined! This has served as a real testimony of the Lord's immense love for us and it shows me that, without any doubt, HE KNOWS US...HE KNOWS ME! He really knows who we are and He loves and cares for us.

As we have worked on remembering NOT the former things and KNOWING that He will do a NEW thing, the Windows of Heaven have opened and showered us with blessings that might not have come our way had we focused on what we "seemed" to have lost. Answers to prayers seemed, at times, to fall on deaf ears but ultimately came with great promises of new blessings.

Someone's sweet pastor said, "The Lord doesn't offer explanations, He offers promises!" (another Ah Ha Moment for me...)


Life has moved forward and so have we! New business ventures for my hubs, while at times challenging, have proved to be lucrative and very rewarding. New church callings have provided great blessings and opportunities for personal growth and new friendships have fostered life-long relationships with endless support and love.

The changes we have been faced with have at times have seemed unbearable and even impossible, but in the end, they were a "new thing" that sprang forth and a "way in the wilderness" was plotted out as well as "rivers in the desert" were provided.

How blessed we are! I can never begin to express enough gratitude for all that I have been so immensely blessed with. The peace of mind and comfort in knowing that we have a "new thing" is worth more than all the gold in the world!
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