Look Back, Looking Forward

Anyone who knows me, knows how much I LOVE to decorate.  However,  I do not enjoy taking down decorations.  We were going to take our Christmas tree and decorations down yesterday but something came up that changed our plans.  So this morning we were working on getting everything packed up and put into storage.  I reluctantly  started taking the ornaments off the tree, sad that we would not longer enjoy the glow of the Christmas tree.  

However, it did no take me long to be overwhelmed with God's goodness and faithfulness to me.  Our Christmas tree is not anything that you would see in a nice fancy restaurant or department store.  We have a bunch of mismatched ornaments.  But our tree is a constant reminder of God meeting my hearts need.  When we were not able to return to our ministry in South America, we lost everything we owned.  But one of the things I had really wanted from our home was our Christmas ornaments which represented years of family memories.  

When we moved to Ontario and were coming up to the Christmas season I knew it was going to be sad to put up a tree without our ornaments.  We had some family come and visit us for American Thanksgiving.  And without us knowing anything about it, many family and friends from Chicago got together and sent us an ornament for our tree.  As I took those ornaments off the tree this morning I was reminded once again of each person who sent an ornament to fill our tree.  Although they might have thought they were just sending something to fill our tree, those ornaments represent God's faithfulness to us in meeting our needs, not only physical but emotional as well.  Each ornament also reminds me of the special people God has put in our lives to cheer us on.  As I took those ornaments off the tree this morning, I spent some time praying for each family.  I also shed some tears just thinking of how God provided new and special ornaments for our tree and how he used it as a reminder of his grace and faithfulness to us as a family.  Our hearts were still grieving leaving the mission field and God used this first Christmas and these special ornaments to bless us in a special way.  It was like a hug sent down from above.  

As we are only two days into 2016, the whole year is still ahead of us.  Like every year, there will be many joyous times but there will be many challenges that we will face as well. I was so thankful this morning,  through the simple task of packing away our christmas decorations, of the reminder from the Lord that He is walking beside me.  We need those reminders in life of how God has been faithful to us in the past and how he will continue to be faithful to us in the future.    

Psalm 89:8 "O Lord God almighty!  Where is there anyone as mighty as you, Lord? Faithfulness is your very character."