I am truly grateful to have my first guest pen from
CARLA GASSER.
Thank you so much Carla. Please read and be encouraged.
Into the Unknown
These lines
are from "The Gate of the Year," a poem written in 1908 by Minnie
Louise Haskins:
I said to the man who stood at the gate
of the year,
"Give me a light that I may tread
safely into the unknown."
And he replied,
"Go into the darkness and put your
hand into the hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light
and safer than a known way!"
I stand at
the gate of this New Year with a mixture of emotions.
v Anticipation and hesitation.
v Excitement and anxiety.
v Confidence and doubt.
On one hand, there is something about a new year
that energizes me. A blank calendar page (well, not so much anymore), the
chance to start afresh, a list of goals, and a whole year to accomplish
them...I'm amped up and ready to go!!
However, the unknown can also bring fear, doubt
and anxiety. Like the person in the poem above, I would like a light so that I
may see what is ahead and plan and prepare accordingly. I would feel more
secure if I could chart my own course.
That isn't going to happen though and I know it.
I have to walk the path ahead not knowing what I may encounter along the
way. So do you. We have to trust or we will stay stuck,
avoiding all risks and playing it safe. We will miss out on what God has
for us if we do not relinquish our desire to know and control what lies ahead.
I am usually pretty good at starting things.
Aren't most of us? That is why standing at the gate ready to walk
through is exhilarating. I think back
over just a few of the things in my life that I began with eagerness and
anticipation: exercising, scrapbooking, organizing my recipes & trying new
ones, journaling, practicing patience, reading the Bible through, eating
healthier & taking vitamins, gardening, hiking, talking less and listening
more, taking pictures...and list goes on and on.
But the real question is: what happens when I
start down the path? How do I keep my
momentum? What if I encounter
roadblocks? Do I press on or give up? How do I finish? Ouch.
Yes, that is
what I'm learning as I grow older.
Starting
is easy...finishing or even just sticking with something is hard the part.
When the newness, excitement and energy fade...where
does that leave me? What if God has another route or a detour (as He usually
does)? Do I just stop and slowly slink
off the track, hoping no one will notice, or do I fight through to the end?
If I depend on my own strength, I will not make
it. Of this I am sure.
So, I want to take the advice of the
man at the gate and put my hand in the hand of God knowing that the safest
place to be is with Him.
So that even
if I approach this New Year with eagerness and hope, I can continue on when the
road ahead gets tough...or I grow weary...or the obstacles seem too big to
overcome. If He leads, I can follow with
complete confidence.
Proverbs
3:5-6 is one of my favorite verses and tells us how we are to walk:
“Trust
in the LORD with all your heart;
Do
not depend on your own understanding.
Seek
his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 (New Living
Translation)
So instead of
putting a lot of time and effort into making a long list of all the things I
want to start this year...
I want to be
more thoughtful and reflective.
I want to try
and set aside all my plans and listen to His voice and leading.
I want to
look to the end instead of just the beginning.
I want to invest
in eternal things and prepare myself for the long haul.
And most
importantly, I want to “walk by faith,
not by sight” as Paul admonishes in 2 Corinthians 5:7.
So let's walk boldly together into the unknown of
the New Year, our hands firmly clasped in His, following wherever He may lead,
and expecting great things.
I am grateful
to walk alongside of you on this journey!
Please visit me http://carlagasser.com/
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
When not
teaching, writing or speaking, I am most myself as a wife and mom living in
Hudson, Ohio with my four very active children (ages 18, 16, 14, & 10).
I
married, Michael, my childhood friend and high school sweetheart, over 24 years
ago and feel very fortunate to have such a loving, generous and level headed
partner and best friend.
I also enjoy serving in the women's ministry at my
church, mentoring young women, and volunteering in the local public schools my
children attend. I continue to teach Bible studies and have a passion for
local outreach.
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