Looking to A New Year

It's 2016. And to be honest, I'm not quite sure what to make of it. The last six months of 2015 were a blur for me. In some ways a good blur, the kind that let me refocus on the things that matter, and the things I want out of life. But in a lot of other ways, the last six months of 2015 were very dark and difficult. And that made new year's a confusing thing that I didn't really know what to make of. I know part of me should be glad to be turning the page to a new year, a new chapter of life. But when you've lost someone you love, a new start can also be hard because it means having to go on without them. And that's exactly how I'm bringing in 2016. Maybe bittersweet is the right word for it (that seems to be a running theme in my life lately). But you know what? That's okay. It's okay for things to be difficult and dark sometimes, and it's okay to admit it. It's okay to know that God is still with you in the midst of it- that joy is not too far within reach even though pain has become a close friend. If 2015 was hard for you, know that you're not alone. Know that it was hard for a lot of us, and not all our hearts survived intact. But grace and peace and mercy are still so real. And I believe more than anything that my God is a redeemer, and He wants to do a redeeming work in my life and yours. So here's to 2016. To the mess and the scars and the joy that is to come. Here's to a year that is full of life and bravery to face whatever life throws our way. Here's to a year of new and unrelenting hope.

#2016 #christian