New year, just another year?

Hi all,

Good to be back! It’s been a while.
So, is this new year just going to be another year? I think that’s up to us. Life is not always about what it gives to us. Sometimes it’s what we put in to it. When we feel down and sad and forsaken, sometimes life is hunting us with pain and loneliness. Strength fails us to press on when we feel beaten down. It gets hard to believe the words that keep saying that there is hope, that things will eventually get better. We hear a story from someone else that came through a more difficult situation than our own, but still the pain wins over our faith and our situation feels worse then any other, no matter what others say. We hear that praying will help, that having faith in the Bible helps and we seek comfort there, but it all seems so far away from our heart. We feel guilty for not having more faith, for not being stronger, for not enjoying things we know we should, for not being a bit more thankful. Now, is it okay to feel sorry for ourselves? No! Is it okay to have pain? Yes! Actually, pain is a way that is totally against our way of thinking, but in many cases it’s the best way to become dependant on the One that wants our attention so that He can show us how deeply He loves us. Many think that pain is a cruel way for God to speak to us. But first, God doesn’t want to hurt us, He wants to love us. And when we need someone to love us, love comes to us the strongest when we need it the most. For a long time I have felt terribly weak and sad. Anything could make me feel that there was no hope anymore. Others were better than I, for me no succes, no one thought of me as someone special, everything seemed to be made just to hurt me. God took care of everyone but me. That’s exactly how it felt and there seemed no way out to freedom and victory. And if the feeling of victory was there, it didn’t last long enough to get over the line that kept me under. But………. somehow I realized that the Lord is so near. He can get me where I can’t go, and I’m here to say that He brought me to victory when my eyes were opened anew for Who my Lord Jesus Christ truly is. And now it’s so very wonderful to look back to those terribly hard times and finally realize that God was in it. He was the One Who looked down in love, Who gently took my hand even if I didn’t feel it at the time, and Who was leading me slowly but surely to that point where I would surrender and give myself to Him. Once we know how very much He loves us, it becomes easier to surrender and just know and believe that He is there and brings out the best in life through His devine wisdom and through ways that are beyond our understanding.Things may be tough sometimes, but I want to tell anyone who will listen that we will all cry out in tears one day and stand before the Lord with deep thankfulness, being filled with awe when we realize how much it was worth it all, all to know Him better.
So, is this just going to be another year? No way! Each day is a gift that gives us the wonderful opportunity to learn more about the God Who created us for His beautiful purpose. Likewise, each day brings us the challenge to pass on to others what beauty we have found in our life with God. A beauty that can’t be found anywhere else!
Let’s USE the days we have in 2009, to learn and to pass on the great love of God!
I’m ready for it now, so, let’s go!