In this last year, a lot of things changed. ⬇️ But read on to see the one thing that did not.
-My mom lost her health, which had been previously fine, to the point of being unable to walk, in constant pain, and dismissed from Mayo Clinic straight into a nursing home.
-Department restructuring at work meant the loss of a job and community I absolutely loved. It rocked my identity, changed our church life experience, and caused the loss of friends that had become like family.
-My son developed a sudden onset of gross motor tics, and we spent the year at various doctor’s appointments with a final diagnosis we are still sorting out.
-My brother developed a loud noise in his ear that he describes as the volume of a dentist drill.
-My grandfather passed away, and he was a treasured, dear man who I loved very much.
-Cancer came. My sister’s husband was diagnosed with stage 4 lymphoma, and our lives suddenly turned into chemo treatments, CAR-T therapy, and lots of trips out to Seattle to help their family. (Their beloved dog got run over by a car and died in the midst of it. 💔)
-My next door neighbor and dear friend developed a brain tumor. My cousin’s wife developed breast cancer.
-Then. Then! Covid-19 came. And a quarantine.
Indeed, a lot of things changed, but one thing did not.
Hebrews 13:8 declares with great boldness that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
In all honesty, I cannot say that my heart was beautifully oriented in Elisabeth Elliot fashion, humbly receiving these difficulties with openness and a surrendered, accepting heart. There has been a lot of wrestling, a lot of questioning, a lot of complaining, and so much crying my tears could have created a lake.
But I can tell you with great assurance that amidst my toddler-like tantrums, I knew I had an anchor because I knew I had an unchanging God.
Times are unsettling right now. And just when we thought we were headed back toward normalcy and healing regarding Covid, another wound was opened in our nation and hurt and division are spreading like wildfire.
There is fear. There is so much unknown. So find rest in what is known, in what is sure, in what is true and unchanging. And the reason we can find rest in these beautiful verses below is because this unchanging God is a good God, a loving God, a wise One, a Ruler, the Lover of our souls.
This ⬇️ is what I found solace in, when my world was shaky this past year. I would walk on the treadmill, and I would worship (King of My Heart was on constant repeat). I would declare out loud that my God reigns. He is sovereign. He is in control. And nothing about Him has changed. He was my only sure thing this past year.
Here are a few verses that tell us so:
Malachi 3:6: “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.”
Isaiah 40:8: “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”
James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
Psalm 119:89 “Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens.”
Psalm 102:27 “But you are the same, and your years have no end.”
That’s the short list, dear ones! I could keep on sharing. Please assure your soul of this, and if you need to talk or need some counsel, I am available as a Coach.
Praying Psalm 62:5 over you and over me today: “ Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from Him.”
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