Thursday, December 27, 2012

Another Year Gone

     And yet again, another year is coming to an end.  I'm not sure why it feels as if life gets faster each year, do I fill my days with too much and not take the time to stop and think about today?  I know one of my greatest failures has been not focusing on the blessings of today but rather focusing on "what is coming next."  When I was in high school I LONGED to be in college, when I was in college I DREAMED of getting engaged, and when Ferrari and I got married all I could IMAGINE was life with a baby.  
     You know the saying, "Don't let life pass you by."  I never really took the time to think about it until I realized life WAS passing me by and without my permission!  I was throwing away precious days thinking about what I wanted to fill my life with instead of appreciating what God had given me.  I would focus on the suffering instead of the blessings.  My pastor mentioned this week to run through the valley of the shadow of death, don't camp out there.  Yes, it is important to walk through the valley sometimes, it shapes us in to the people God wants us to become.  However, God never intends for us to set up camp there!
     I read a devotional this morning talking about this very topic.  I LOVE how the author asked, "Are the best years of your life slipping away while you suffer enforced monotony?  Are you afflicted with opposition, misunderstandings, and the scorn of others?  Do your afflictions seem as thick as the undergrowth confronting someone hiking through a jungle? Then take heart!  Your time is not wasted, for God is simply putting you through His iron regimen.  Your iron crown of suffering precedes your golden crown of glory, and iron is entering your soul to make it strong and brave." F. B. Meyer
    Did you let another year slip away, focused on what remains just outside of your reach?  The good news is you can change TODAY, 2013 can be YOUR year!  Stop focusing on the monotony of your suffering, pack up your things and get out of the valley of the shadow of death.  God has great plans in store for you!  A wise friend once mentioned to me, "We go through what we go through, to help others go through, what we went through."  Look for opportunities to give your suffering meaning and purpose, it will help you as well as others.
     Lastly, enjoy TODAY, for today will never come again!  You can never undo it or redo it, so DO IT with a purpose and a plan!  Make every moment meaningful, because you never know what God has in store for you TOMORROW.  

3 comments:

  1. A great reminder to kick off a new year! It is so easy to look to what's ahead and forget what is here now. To enjoy where God has you at this moment because it is all for reason and purpose and joy.

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  2. 2 Corinthians 1:4! Thank you for your words of wisdom and encouragment Shayla. Love ya, Laura

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  3. Thank you for your wonderful words Shayla! I believe most of us are guilty of living in the future and longing for what we think would be better. I certainly have been there, and am still there once in a while, although I've gotten much better. So let's make 2013 the year of appreciating the good things in life instead of dwelling on its shortcomings.

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