Journal - December 26, 2021

As 2021 comes to a close my thoughts go to the amazing grace we find in our Lord. It's by grace that we are so loved and cared for, and because of grace that every little detail is known by our Father. Our history, our struggles, our joys, and our futures; all of these are held securely in his hands because of grace. 

The question then becomes, am I okay with that? Can I rest in this grace? Do I trust, and not only trust, but put confidence in this grace every single day?

It is only when I can do this that I find rest and peace. Only when we submit to the unknown (that is held in his hands) deciding to live in the grace of this moment, can we find true rest, full joy, and pure peace.

Christmas looks a bit different in Haiti. It's more simple than we celebrate in America, and the simplicity gave me a good chance to reflect on the truth behind why we celebrate this day. Instead of getting lost in the decorations, gifts, and parties that had a tendency to fill up my month of December in years past, the quietness and lack of the above mentioned things gave me a special time for reflection and appreciation. Yes, we still pull out our limited supply of decorations, go caroling, and bake cookies, but just on a much smaller and less stressful scale. 

To be completely honest, 2021 brought a lot of really hard things right from the start. Things that I would not have chosen, and situations that I naturally would have tried to avoid. But it is during these moments that we find the richest blessings, and after these times that we can reflect and see how we have grown. 

Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. Psalm 62:1-2

Prayers for blessings and joy in the new year. Although we don't know how the year will unfold, we are promised that we will be given just enough grace each day.