But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13-14
When I was little I used to always love to watch the “Year in Review” shows that highlighted the events of the year gone by. Now that I’m older those shows elicit different feelings in me. While they always recap the best things that have transpired during the previous year, they also bring up the events that caused heartache and heartbreak to many.
As I’ve gotten older another thing that I’ve come to realize is how quickly each year passes. For children the month of December can seem an eternity; for the parents, a blink of an eye. As age increases, so does the value of each day, each month, each year because I have become fully aware of how precious life truly is.
At Sweet Monday, 2014 has seen many heartaches and heartbreaks. It has been a year of significant loss for all of us. Our dear friend and founder, Kim Newlen went home to be with Christ (big C) after a courageous and heroic battle with cancer (little c). While her loss left a huge hole in our sweet world, we press on to reach out to women one sweet invitation at a time for Christ.
While grieving her loss, our board members also experienced the deaths of two of their dear mothers and a beloved husband during this year. For such a small organization, this seems so big.
But God is bigger still. We have experienced His grace for each and every circumstance, His comfort for every sorrow. We exult in His faithfulness that His ways are perfect and He is always good. His plans for us cannot be thwarted. We rejoice that He is on His throne and He never changes.
So we press on. We press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of us!
Jesus is the new covenant of God to man. He has made us new creations in Christ, the old has gone, and the new has come!
And one day, in keeping with His promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth.
In this earthly life we ring in another year. In the new heaven and new earth time will be no more. Every day will be a celebration of our Savior.
Until then, hold on to Him and the hope of heaven. Press on, sweet friend, toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called you heavenward in Christ Jesus.
To the One who makes all things new, including this New Year.