The fall was an extremely busy season for my family. We moved to another part of the state for my husband to take over a business, bought a house, had our third baby, and started my oldest daughter in school. It was like a sprint to the end of the year, holding out for the new year to be a time to settle in, set routines, and come up for air.
New year… same chaos? Like many, I see the beginning of a new year as a great time to check in with myself, refocus on any areas I’ve drifted, and pray about what the Lord has for me for the coming season. But rather than being re-energized by that annual reboot, I felt like the wheels were still whirling off the proverbial wagon a few months into the year.
Despite my best efforts, the flip of the calendar didn’t magically change the status of my life. I’m still in a new place, new home, and new baby with all the things to figure out. Funny enough, though, when praying about 2025, the words God gave me were Rest, Wholeness, and Jubilee. Thinking surely He meant those for someone with a much less full plate, I’ve been trying to reconcile how those could be true for me amidst my chaos.
It brought to mind stories in scripture where God has chosen to move in big ways in unlikely environments. The fourth man in the fire who accompanied Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the furnace. Jesus calming the storm after his fearful disciples woke him up from resting on a boat. The Israelites standing at the shore of the Red Sea escaping 400 years of slavery and an entire army, to name a few. It’s not lost on me that the comings and goings of my daily life don’t hold a candle to the trials that many have faced before me, maybe some are even facing now. Even still, Jesus desires to walk with each of us when we are at our weakest, whatever that looks like. He invites us, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
We have a unique opportunity when we are smacked with our limitations and fragility. It’s here in the ‘already and not yet’ that we have the ability to lift praise while in pain, worship through our tears, and find peace in chaos. We know worship pleases the Father, I bet even more so when it takes all we’ve got to muster up a chorus of thanksgiving. Only on this side of heaven can we lift an offering of praise through whatever brokenness the world has thrown our way. A dire diagnosis, uncertain future, or the overwhelming weight of stepping into new things- we can give something very special to our Heavenly Father, in the words of Brandon Lake, a “hard-fought hallelujah.”
We look forward to the day “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Rev. 21:4) It will be glorious! But until then, we can find strength in knowing that our scrapes, bruises, and scars aren’t for nothing. “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor. 12:9-11)
it might be difficult to find quiet in a house with three kids ages 5 and below, I know I can still find REST in His presence. Living in a fixer-upper, trying to bounce back postpartum and be the best wife and mom I can be, I know WHOLENESS is attainable when I allow Him, and Him alone, to define me. Amidst a new community, not really knowing any people or places, I’m certain JUBILEE is waiting for me when I trust His plan.
While those affirmations are tailored to my season and journey, the same promises are true for us all. As this year unfolds, I’ll do my best to lift my limitations as an offering and testify to how He has met me in the highs and been so close in the lows.
Guest Contributor:
Sophia Holmes
