We associate one year ending and another beginning with the hope that something new and wonderful will happen in our lives. People will say, “Oh, 2016 was a terrible year so 2017 has to be better!” I am a big believer that things will and do get better if we are open to receiving and not shut down by bitterness and fear. Many people have had their lives turned upside down in a blink of an eye. They realized that nothing in this life is a sure thing; Not health, people, jobs, nature, or possessions. When pain strikes we begin to reevaluate where our time, resources, and energy are placed. There is a quietness that rises up in us as we try and make sense of something that may at the time seem so senseless.  We know we are no longer what we used to be. We are numb to the shallowness around us while acutely aware of the sound of the wind. Our time now is very precious and we want to use it wisely by holding our children a bit longer as we hang on every pleasing word that spills from their tiny mouths. Our senses have been awakened from absorbing this truth- we are not in control nor powerful. We are brief and small but exude deep inner strength that comes from another source altogether.

We do not have the energy for close relationships that are confusing. If those relationships drain us, bring division, or exploit then we choose to lovingly separate from others. We are not mad anymore, we just know our time is sacred and God is working on something in us. We cannot afford to keep unhealthy relationships around. Our boundaries become very clear when we have suffered.

The rebuilding is taking place and we know we must let go of anything that is holding us back from our recovery and rebirth. We are laying down our childish ways so we can be ready for the goodness only God can bring. Trust in Him because He knows what’s to come.