“For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says
to you Do not fear; I will help you.
Isaiah 41:13
Dear Friends,
Well, this is probably going to be one of the most awkward
Christmas newsletters ever written. As
most of you know, this was a year unlike any other; one of extreme sadness and
loss. You see, after 31 years of
marriage, I decided to end my marriage.
I will not bore you with the details but suffice it to say that it was
not an easy decision. However, I have not
looked back. It was a good decision and
one that I have never regretted. This past
year has been a whirlwind; one of many changes. A journey – and one that I’d like to share.
From the time of my decision until now, life was pretty
much a scary roller coaster ride. Dips, turns,
and flips that I did not even see coming.
It was a time of crazy emotions and just a lot of uncertainty. I went through many transitions; not only did
I get a divorce, I moved and changed jobs.
I had to make it on my own; a scary proposition since I’ve never really
been on my own – ever! I still teach – I
will never give that up because I love it, but I did move to a new building and
new position. It was hard to leave those
I loved in my old school behind; but once again, a necessary change. I moved to a small condo and gave away most
of my belongings. Funny how you think
you can’t live without things and yet, when forced to, you are able to quite
nicely. I love my new home. It is “me”.
Throughout the year, I have had to do many things I didn’t
want to do. Tell my children about the
divorce, work two—sometimes three jobs just to make ends meet and reach out to
others. I think reaching out to others
was the hardest. I am not used to
depending on strangers; yet, I found myself in a situation where I had to take
a leap of faith and trust again. God
was good. He put me in the arms of
people I refer to as my “angels”. You
all know who you are – people who not only embraced me but held me up when I
was so broken I couldn’t stand. You
taught me about God’s promises, you shared your own experiences freely, you
listened to me, you held my hand, you prayed with me and taught me how to live again; but most of all, you loved me. You pulled me out
of the pit I was in and got me back on my feet.
For that I am eternally grateful.
As for working more than one job – yes, I am tired. Yet, I am also incredibly thankful because I
love working with kids, and that is what I do for the majority of my day. I also feel blessed because on those days when
I am tired, I remind myself that whereas some people have no work, I have been gifted
with more than one job. Another of God’s
promises fulfilled; He does provide and His provision is more than enough.
There will be no Christmas gifts this year but to me,
that is a gift in itself. Instead of stressing over what to buy and
running from store to store, I am able to spend time reading God’s Word and
understanding the real meaning of the holiday season; the birth of our Lord,
Jesus Christ.
I no longer look to the past, for there is nothing there
that I wish to remember. I also don’t look
to the future, as there is a certain amount of anxiety of not knowing what the
future holds. I don’t need to know the
future; God knows the plans He has for me, and that’s a promise and a hope that
I hold in my heart. No, I prefer to stay
in the present. To me, that is the best
part of this journey. I am filled with a
peace that surpasses all understanding and a deep and abiding joy. My love and faith in God has grown more than
I could even imagine. This journey has
indeed been crazy; yet, each step was taken in faith. At times I was shaking but God’s hand was
always there to steady mine. He has given
me a real gift; one that is lasting and I will never return – the gift of
salvation.
It didn’t start out as a
great year, but it is sure ending as such.
I pray that you all have a wonderful holiday season and that your coming
year is filled with the peace and joy that can only be given by having a personal
relationship with our Lord, Jesus Christ.
May you step out in faith
and enjoy your journey with God this year!
Peace and Grace in Him,
Lisa
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