Then you will see and be radiant,
And your heart will thrill and rejoice;
Because the abundance of the sea will be turned to you…
Isaiah 60:5 (NASB)
The sea smirks…holds…pounds…frightens…sways…calms…and conquers. It knocks me off my unsteady feet and leaves me breathless. I am small.
The storm of 2016 leaves an impression.
My days are often spent trying to avoid the deep as I maneuver between busy lanes on a freeway. Yet, my soul lives by the sea and I never want to leave. I am torn. What brings me healing and peace has also left me with pain. The storytelling has been my undoing.
I returned to swim in murky waters and survived to write about it. There were days I didn’t think I would make it to shore. The road that followed the sea was as confusing and rough. It was cluttered with debris that hindered my effort!
Abandonment. Loneliness. Manipulation. Victimization. Shame. Guilt. Worthlessness.
Hard words to consider and circle with for a year. They felt like stones being whipped at me! My worst enemy lived within my frame and threw the most. Anger festered as I struggled with forgiveness. I flailed fists and spewed ugly, and wanted to quit!
It was hard to seek beauty…but there is a God who brings hope to one stubborn rebel.
As the year came to an end I read about the birth of Jesus. He was wrapped in strips of clean cloth…swaddling clothes…bound tightly to protect Him. Even so Jesus’ parents responded to His desperate cries. And His needs were met in a lowly place.
Our Savior does the same for us.
There are seasons of sacred rest where God wraps us in His tender care. He stills our thrashing limbs and troubled heart, and blankets us with new mercies and grace. He understands our anger; the hurt and our defenses. So behold- He does a new thing!
Behold…I read it often in scripture the week before the ball dropped on New Year’s eve.
BEHOLD…be present…be held!
Be ready…watchful…seek…examine…study…contemplate…observe…expect…
The abundance of the sea is turned toward you. Our God is for you!
There will be a glimmer of light in the darkness. You shall see and be radiant!
There are treasures in the deep that can only be churned up through the pounding of the waves. Whatever the past year stirred, broke, and took from you, there is beauty to be found. Stoop to find the stones that left a mark; the good and the bad. And then lift your eyes to the heavens with thankfulness.
Behold…a new year…with fresh beginnings. God will go before you and guard your way!
~Lily Mae
