New Year, Same Stuff

Stability Amid Change

Excerpt from Connecting with Christ: 52 Weekly Devotionals to Nurture Spiritual Growth

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”—Hebrews 13:8, NKJV

Every so often, life brings about a year that we never want to relive. I know that for many, 2020 is the year you’ll choose. For me, 2017 stands out. January of that year started off painful as I navigated through the emotions of a disappointing choice made by loved ones. Then, March was marked by the passing of my favorite aunt whose death I couldn’t totally grieve because I was worried about my mom. My aunt was her last living sister, and the two of them were close. To add to a year that had already started rough, in May, my mother took her last earthly breath.

On top of all this, my daughter was finishing her senior year of high school, playing her last season of club volleyball, and deciding where she wanted to pursue her collegiate studies. My hubby and I were on the verge of being empty nesters, but in April, we got a puppy! (I referred to him as my emotional therapy dog at that time.) By May of 2017, my life had drastically changed, and there were more changes to come. Below are just a few.

• The painful realization that some friendships were not as strong as I thought.
• The start of a new business venture with my hubby.
• The launch of an annual event with a new friend.
• Preparation for a doctoral journey that would begin the following January.
• Receipt of news from my son that there would be a new addition to our family in 2018.

Although 2017 had a mixture of good and bad events, the bottom line is that all events indicated change. No matter what, life would never be the same.

The first part of that year was straitjacket-worthy for sure! Physical pain is much easier for me to handle than emotional pain. I love hard. 

Consequently, I also hurt hard, so the events that transpired in January, March, and May, broke my heart ten times over. That was a lot of change in a short amount of time. Yet, there was one constant upon which I could depend…Jesus.

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The above is an excerpt from Connecting with Christ: 52 Weekly Devotionals to Nurtur Spiritual Growth. In what ways has Jesus proven to be dependable in your life?