If I’m being honest, the “New Year” might be my least favorite holiday. The old year, good or bad is gone, and the unexpected is coming. This past year had familiarity. We knew what we were up against, and we were in it. But the new year? It’s full of the unknown. It will most likely bring change, and let’s face it; change can be hard. Kids grow up, new seasons await, and we are never again where we were. Not knowing what is on the other side can be more than uncomfortable.
A few weeks ago I was on my way to an early morning basketball game with my oldest son, and we were driving on a four-lane highway. It was icy, but we were still moving along reasonably well. However, there was no movement in the on-coming lanes. Not a single car was passing us as we continued on. Then we saw it; a huge accident. It looked as though no one was severely injured, but the lanes were blocked entirely. There were multiple cars involved, and nothing would be moving past the scene for quite a while.
As we continued to drive, the line of stopped cars went on for miles! Some people had emerged from their cars trying to see what was ahead. No one knew what lay in front of them. No one knew what had happened. No one could see the pile-up of cars or how many minutes they would have to wait in the endless line. No one knew what I knew coming from the other side.
It was then that I realized I was getting a glimpse of the side of life that God always gets. God always sees things from the other side. He always knows what’s ahead. Nothing surprises Him, and nothing worries Him.
As much as I wanted to yell out of my car window to tell the other drivers what was ahead, I realized that God, at times, would love to tell us too. But He, in His infinite wisdom, just asks us to trust Him. Trust the God who sees the end of our journeys as clearly as the beginnings.
Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
A friend recently wrote, “My label for 2019 could be FEAR or UNKNOWN, but instead I’ll call it “TRUST.” I love that.
Maybe we approach this next year with less angst and more trust. Let the upcoming seasons of change come, and in our state of unknown, let’s rest in His loving, “I know.” He is ahead of you, and His plans are for you…. to give you a future and a Hope. HLLF –
