Steadfast: firm, persistent, determined, disciplined

 

Happy & Blessed New Year!

Out with the old…in with the new!

Leave the past in the past and set your face toward the future…

2013 was not a star-studded year for me—physically, emotionally, or even spiritually—

So, I’m more than happy to leave it in the past. It began with a gust of enthusiastic faith, and ended by with me crawling across the finish line. If you followed my few postings of the year, you know some of the trials and tests which wore me down. Fears have been a constant nemesis…only, fear cannot exist where faith abounds.

Moving, house-hunting, and receiving news of cancer in our families was more than I could bear on my own…yet that’s what I attempted to do...to do it on my own.

That is until a couple of weeks before Christmas when I picked up the phone and called for help.

Yes, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me; and strength He gave me, but He never intended for me to go it alone. The Cross is both vertical and horizontal. So, I not only needed to reached up, but reach out for help.

In a few days I have my first meeting with a Christian lay-counselor. Someone to “come along side me” on this stressful journey. Someone to “hold my hand,” to “cheer me on” because I cannot do this alone.

Since the time of this decision God gave me the word “steadfast” to encourage my forward progress. It shall be my word for the year. It means: firm, persistent, determined, and disciplined. I also see it as being steady, even paced, continuous, stable, and firm-standing.

Pondering steadfast has renewed my strength to fight the good fight, and press on toward the call God has put upon me. It is has caused my mind to be positive and patient. It has allowed His creativity to stir words together to form sentences and paragraphs into complete thoughts (aka: to write, which I barely could during the chaos of 2013). It gave me new found courage to impulsively submit an old piece to a short-story contest with only days to the deadline. And, steadfast has given me the ability to wait upon the Lord and to be weak in His strength.

“He gives strength to the weary,
And to him who lacks might

He increases power.
Though youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous young men stumble badly,
Yet those who wait for the Lord
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.” 

Isaiah 40:29-31 nasb

Don’t let yourself become weary as I have; but if you do, remember, it is not a sign of Christian weakness to reach up and reach out.

If God has given you an encouraging “word” for your 2014 journey, what word is it and why? Feel free to join me in the pursuit of Steadfastness.