Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!  I love the thought of a new year...fresh, clean pages on the calendar...days waiting to be written.  This morning as I was praying, I saw myself standing with God on the top of a mountain looking out over the year ahead.  But everything was foggy and hazy—I couldn’t see a thing.  Then God quietly reminded me that He alone knows what’s ahead.  He held out His hand to me and said, “Let’s just walk there together.”

Earlier today I glanced through the paper before I picked up my Bible.  Big mistake!  Not a lot of good news in there, especially on the financial front.  As our nation teeters on the fiscal cliff, it’s easy to be filled with fear.  And this time it hits very close to home.  Steve’s place of employment, where he’s worked for 24 years, was just sold to a large corporation.  The transition from one company to the other takes place today.  Steve, as the head finance guy, has been working crazy long hours for the past several weeks.  It’s been stressful, to say the least.  As with any big change like this, there’s been a lot of uncertainty, confusion, and stress.  Thankfully, most of the people were able to keep their jobs.  Unfortunately, Steve isn’t one of them (the financial work will be done at corporate headquarters).  He will keep working through the first quarter of the year, but after March 31 we’re not sure what he will do.  He has some options available (tentatively), but nothing for sure. 

How quickly life situations can change.  You don’t get to age 53 without realizing that truth over and over again!  But another truth stands out in my mind, too.  God has always taken care of us in the past and He will take care of us today…and in the future.  So we’re determined to take one day at a time, our hands in His.

When I finally put the paper down and picked up the Bible, God led me to the most amazingly appropriate verse.  I’ve been reading through the Psalms, and this was tucked away in my Psalm for today.

Praise the Lord; praise God our Savior!

For each day He carries us in His arms.” (Ps. 68:19 NLT)

That’s a keeper!  I wrote it on an index card that I’ve started for 2013 and taped it to our bathroom mirror.  I love the image of God carrying us in His arms each day.  He’s bigger and stronger than any problem we could possibly face.  So I’m looking forward to 2013!  Yes, it’ll be a year filled with challenges and uncertainty, but isn’t that how life always is, this side of heaven?  God wants us to simply live one day at a time, safe and secure in His arms.