Monday, December 31, 2012

From a window seat on the beach....

The last day of 2012. I can not begin to imagine how this year disappeared so quickly! 

I'll be honest, I am not terribly sad to say good-bye to 2012. It was a hard year for my little family. Too much medical stuff. Too many new diagnoses. Too many discovered medical issues that will have to be addressed in the new year and beyond.

Yuck. Blech. 


But today, today, I am preparing for 2013. The truth is, knowing that this year holds a big, huge, spine surgery for Benjamin makes me want to put on the brakes and hide right here on this little window seat on the beach (Wade and I are on a get-away trip to watch our Bulldogs play in the Gator Bowl). I want to ignore the coming of a new year. I want to ignore the curve in my boy's back requiring surgery. I want to ignore any pain and hardship 2013 might bring.

But as I sit here watching the tide come in and out on this cold beach morning, I am struck by the fact that the same year that brought in all the crazy medical issues of 2012, also brought in some amazing, very wonderful things:

My teenagers and I traveled to Argentina to serve God on a mission team from our church. We were blessed before we even left the U.S. by friends supporting the trip financially and prayerfully all over the country. Friends who were willing to stand with us and scream that they believed we could go and serve in spite of the obstacles. Such a gift! In Argentina, we met amazing people and were changed forever because of our time there. Such a blessing!

My little red learned to ride her bike all over the neighborhood without training wheels in 2012. We made such sweet memories cruising together and I know we will do more of the same in 2013.

We traveled as a family to Walt Disney World, Mississippi State and to Minnesota to meet our brand new niece/cousin -- what a blessing each of those was (especially meeting precious Moriah!!)!

And perhaps my favorite 2012 memory: watching all four of our children performing the beautiful musical  "Honk, Jr". Hearing Mason share from his heart about how the story was his  story and how he wouldn't change the fact that he has Cerebral Palsy for anything.

So though the tide of 2012 brought some things I would rather have left at sea....it brought so much more! I am ever-grateful.

And I will be encouraged that 2013 will do the same. Oh yes, there will be hard things this year. We know some of those already. But I trust in the ONE who knows the plan for the entire year -- and beyond.

"You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." Psalm 16:11 (NKJV)

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:6-7 (NIV)

Be encouraged my friends, the tide that brings in 2013 will bring all manner of goodness, blessings and yes, possible hardships, but we have a rock, a help, an ever-present refuge in times of trouble.

Isn't that such a blessing?





0 comments: