I realize that we’ve already passed the halfway mark of this month, so maybe it feels silly to consider the new year when it’s more… new-ish now. But this specific reflection seems to keep surfacing for me and I’m wondering if it might also resonate with some of you as well!
As I had some conversations with my closest friends, we chatted a bit about our theme words for the year. I dunno about you, but in the past I’ll sometimes ask God to give me a main word or phrase to sort of tether me into the new year – something to remember as the year unfolds. Sometimes it’s a lesson to learn, sometimes it’s a theme to focus on and sometimes it’s simply a character trait of God that is highlighted.
One particular conversation had me nodding and “yes!”-ing along with my friend:
After having experienced devastating loss three years ago, she was sharing about how “new beginnings” can feel overwhelming. With all the hype that usually accompanies a new year, loss and pain can begin to crowd in too and make you wonder if a new beginning will ever truly look or feel new again. My friend said she’s “fearful that [the new year] will carry the same weight and heaviness as the year before”.
Although our life experiences are entirely different, what she was describing resonated deeply in my spirit! I too had been struck by how overrated new beginnings can begin to feel after a while… especially when you’re still trying to rest and heal and carry on despite exhaustion from the last billion “new beginnings”.
The theme of Patient Endurance sure does seem fitting then, doesn’t it?
What I’ve sensed God speaking to me about my own, personal 2024 words are different than “Patient Endurance” and yet they partner together beautifully. The focus for 2023 had been on the promises of God and involved me learning to trust and depend on the things God has spoken. And now, as 2024 begins, I’ve sensed that God is reminding me that the greater things have already been put into motion. 2024 seemed to be a continuation and a next step forward from last year.
And as Kayla and I continued to share our hearts with one another, she said something especially profound:
If anything, I’ve just been accepting that sometimes it’s a gift in itself for things not to feel new… sometimes the lingering of the old is a blessing and the fact that things stay the same is to make me feel safe and give our hearts time to continue to heal.
In the same way we are being challenged to endure patiently, I want to extend that challenge for us to remember how patiently God’s loving-kindness endures for us. How faithfully God continues to bring about healing and wholeness, even to the most impossibly broken parts of us.
In Revelation 21:5, the One who was seated on the throne speaks these words. And I am hoping that each of us can find peace and comfort in them:
“Behold I am making all things new… write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
Our job is not to make the old things new or to get all hyped up about the exciting new things… although, of course, there will be times for celebration too! Our role, rather, is to nurture the tiny little mustard seeds of faith that remain after the storms have blown through our lives. Our invitation is to continue placing our hope and our trust in the eternally loving hands of God.
