“Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.
Lord, come back to us! How long will you delay?…”

Psalm 90:12-13 [NLT]

Today is the ninth* day of Christmas and the second day of the New Year. So, here we are… day two. How’s it going so far? We are still in the season of Christmas, the celebration of Emmanuel, God with us. But for many, hope is packed up with decorations and tucked away for another year. Unfathomable resources and energy are expended to make December a joyous time of the year. Yet, in a flash, many are back to routines motivated by [insert any number of things]. The essence of Christ and the intent of His improbable birth were to carry us through life not just a season. Humbly, He became a tangible part of history.  I sincerely hope you were able to experience days of gratitude, joy, peace, hope, and love. If this season lacked any of these virtues, I pray you are able to shift slightly or drop unnecessary weight to change your trajectory and be fully present to carry on your life journey in 2023.

Around this time last year, the earth started rumbling beneath my feet and life took some unexpected turns. The length of this post typically exceeds the attention span of many so I will not elaborate on the intricacies**. If I were to offer testimony over a cup of tea, most would be astounded by the way God orchestrated timing and details. The premise of January 2022 continued throughout the year and all circles of life. I can only assume this course will continue a while longer, although I am weary. In the midst of change, the wind has been knocked from my sails. God has used people in ways I wouldn’t have dreamed. Sadly, the previous sentence often means people were a blessing. Indeed, there were many good things but sometimes blessings look like “B.S.”. I witnessed the unsavory reminder of our human frailty in surprising places. In the midst, I knew God had a plan and purpose. Though weary, I had peace. To comprehend the sovereignty of our Creator and appreciate challenges with Eternal perspective– this is a mystery of faith. Trust there is far more to our circumstances than is directly in front of us. In the midst, we trust there is a purpose for all things knowing nothing is wasted. Though time may feel stagnant in dark and difficult times, it truly is passing quickly.

A familiar Christmas carol resonated in my ears this year—

Truly He taught us to love one another
His law is love and His gospel is peace
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
And in His name all oppression shall cease

There is a lot of darkness and “B.S.”in our world. Yet the Creator of the universe is still able to achieve improbable things using unlikely people. In love, I encourage you to stay hopeful and be all he knew we would since before the world began. I am weary but pressing on [Hebrews 12:1]. I hope you will too.

With Love,
Lisa

*Post written on the 9th day of Christmas (1/2/23) and published on the 11th day of Christmas (1/4/23).

**I do hope to start writing again and hope you will follow this blog and/or my poetry blog, “The Poet Who Didn’t Know It“.