The full moon lit up the vast sky. The city lights sparkled in the distance. We stood on the steps, admiring the unforgettable view that we were soon leaving behind. The bright yellow light of the upper room peaked through the cracks in the door. Frantic shuffling of grocery bags and tape being unrolled curiously filled our ears. The voice of our sweet teammate, Lauryn, exclaimed from inside, “Just a few more minutes!”.
The blue door opened wide as the light dazzled our eyes. Adjusting to the brightness, my eyes widened at the festive sight. Black paper with shiny gold cut-out tassels was taped to the walls with white balloons complimenting the theme. A white folding table covered with food and candy naturally drew my attention. Chips, salsa, pizza, cookies, and candy was eloquently displayed for our devouring. Oh, and not just any candy. American candy.
Music blared through our portable speaker, hinting for a dance party to commence. I unwrapped a snickers and looked at the empty, beige poster labeled ‘New Years Resolutions’. It hadn’t hit me until that moment that this year was actually coming to an end. The music was ringing in my ear as my mind took me back to the last 365 days.
This year my soul has felt as if its been through open-heart surgery. My eyes have never shed more tears. My heart has never been more broken. My life has never been more of a mess. But at the pit of my sorrow, in the depths of my shame and guilt, Jesus called my name. The Lord saw my downcast spirit, my broken heart, and piece by piece began stitching it together. He took my hand in His and made something beautiful out of me. My life has never been more renewed for His Name’s sake. Praise the Lord! As hard as the growing pains were, I look back on 2017 with pure thankfulness towards the Lord’s faithfulness in His promises.
Months of searching for the Lord’s faithful hand in my life went by, and I was content. Truly. I saw His faithfulness. I knew I was free. But when I looked at my life, something was missing. Then the Lord radically stripped more of my thoughts to reveal His. While I saw His faithfulness, I wasn’t trusting in it. While I knew I was free, I wasn’t living freely. I was going through the motions, staying thankful for His faithfulness in my past, but not believing in His faithfulness in the present. My life was not transformed by the renewing of my mind. I wasn’t joyfully living in the freedom the Lord already lavished on me.
So, 2018, I declare you will be a year of freedom. You will be a year of boldly trusting in the Lord’s faithfulness. You will be a year of pure joy that does not come from earthly circumstances, but only from the Lord. You will be a year filled with laughter and deep love. I declare confidence in what the Lord has done, in what He is doing, and in what He will do. I declare that I am not a slave to anxiety, to my past, or to the uncertain future. I declare that the Lord’s faithfulness is my hope and stay.
Loud booms filled our ears. As each minute passed, the noise grew more intensely. I opened the door and a gust of wind paired with the beauty I saw took my breathe away. Fireworks. An abundance of them stretched as far as the eye could see. Bright sparks of red, blue, and purple lit up the night sky. Each city across every mountain contributed to the show, creating an unforgettable night. The booming continued as a smile swept over my face. Passion swelled in my heart. This is going to be the year I freely live because of God’s faithfulness.
