We recently spent a few days in the mountains, about two hours drive from our home, for some much needed down time after an incredibly busy year. As we were driving to our destination, the sun was setting and, not being one to miss a photo opportunity, I was taking pictures through the windscreen (from the passenger seat 😊)
It wasn’t until I was looking through the photos on my phone later that I realised what I had captured in this particular picture…. I had been taking a photo of the sun setting through the clouds but what struck me more when I looked at it, was the road; curving and leading to an unseen destination. We had programmed the GPS to guide us so we knew we were going in the right direction, but at that precise moment in time, we could have been in the middle of nowhere!
I love the imagery in this photo…. The curve in the road, the mountains in the distance, the valley just ahead… and above it all, the sun still shining brightly through the clouds. When I looked at this picture, (which was completely unintentional) I was struck by just how perfectly it sums up the different facets of life…. The road ahead isn’t always clear where it is going… sometimes it leads to mountaintops, sometimes it leads us through deep valleys… but if we have faith, we can be confident that the sun will shine through, no matter how bleak our circumstances may be.
As we close the door on 2019 today, I am so grateful for all that God has done in my life this year. The road ahead has not always been clear and there have been some setbacks, but I have been obedient to the call and have taken several huge leaps of faith in sharing my story to bring this blog to fruition. I pray that it will continue to grow in the coming year to help others on their own journeys to forgiveness and healing.
Until recently I hadn’t thought about the fact that this is the beginning of a new decade. As I reflect back ten years to New Years Eve in 2009, I find it hard to even recognise the person I was then compared to the woman I am today. If someone had told me in 2009 what my life would look like in 2019, I probably would have laughed at them, such is the contrast. But, I shouldn’t be the same person I was ten years ago… and neither should you. We should all be continually striving to grow and become the people God created us to be. Life is rarely straight forward and we must navigate the curves in the road with the help of our guide – the Holy Spirit.
On this last day of the year 2019, whether your road was curved or straight, I hope that you can look back on your year and find something good in it, I pray that in 2020 God will give you the desires of your heart, and I pray that you will step further into what God is calling you to do, that you will find the boldness and courage to step out of your comfort zone and become all that you are meant to be.
Thank you to each of you for supporting my baby steps this year, I can’t tell you how much it means to me. I look forward with anticipation and hope that God will achieve all He wants to, in us and through us. And I look forward to interacting more in 2020… for us all to share the goodness of God in all our lives to encourage and support each other.
God Bless you… and Happy New Year!!
