By Jen Ward, Women’s Mistry Director LHM Houston
Welcome 2018! We couldn’t hold you back even if we tried.
As Chris and I prepared for the Holidays, I was captured by this quote early last month as it circulated on social media among my Houston friends:
“Hosted the Super Bowl.
Survived a Hurricane.
Won the World Series.
Played in the Snow.
What a year, Houston!”
These words inspired pure pride that I am part of this great city. As a community, we experienced a lot this past year. And we did more than just survive, we’ve thrived. We’ve seen the Lord work in ways we never imagined, bringing beauty from bad.
Aside from all the communal events of 2017, Chris and I experienced many personal milestones. Two weeks ago our precious granddaughter was born. As you can imagine, the last two weeks have been somewhat of a blur. I’ve watched my daughter patiently try to teach the babe what daytime and nighttime are and how they are actually different. It’s exhausting for me to watch them sleep so little at night. I can only imagine the exhaustion they are living through. And then there’s the toddler…which makes for no naps during the day.
Amidst all this exhaustion, I considered the “what’s your new year’s resolution” question. I could only come up with “I just want to survive.” That’s literally all that my mind could handle. I couldn’t even imagine anything beyond just surviving until this morning. And this morning, I couldn’t think of anything better than, “I’d like to thrive, not just survive.”
Then I opened up my laptop and saw that the verse of the day on Biblegateway.com was Micah 6:8. I love this classic verse and noticed that it began with “No” and wondered why. So, I started looking back at the verses that precede it. Check it out for yourself (the whole chapter/book even), but here’s what I will be pursuing in 2018:
Should we sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for our sins? No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:7b-8
What will you pursue in 2018?