New Ink on a Fresh Page
Like most, Mike and I took time last night to remember 2010. Over a pot of fondue (and a whole lot of unnecessary but extremely delicious calories) we went month by month through the year remembering the high points and low points, thanking God for what each brought to our lives. It was a rewarding experience to weigh the year as a whole versus the day-to-day, sometimes chaotic perspective we have when we are living in the moment.
The two things that stuck out most to us as we reviewed 2010 was God’s incredible monthly – even daily – provision in our lives and the amazing times we’ve been able to share with family over the first full year we’ve been back in Chicago. I will not lie. There is an excitement in our hearts to emerge from the pages of 2010 and some of the craziness that we experienced there. But there is also a deep-seated appreciation for all that it made us to be.
What was more incredible for both of us, was dreaming about the possibilities of 2011. It has been a while since we’ve had the energy to really dream for what lies ahead – and we have so much to look forward to this year. We are going to be parents again. We will be celebrating five years of marriage (where in the world has the time gone?). We get to enjoy all over again living in the area we love, spending time with family and friends that we cherish and being part of a church that is really doing something to make a difference in our community.
If that were not enough to be excited about, Mike and I have both felt that this would be the year that God answered some really big prayers we have been praying for a long time. Our faith has never been stronger. Like new ink on a fresh page, this year is going to be different and memorable in a way that we can’t put our finger on just yet, but we know will be incredible to the story of our family. Like the lyrics of Josh Wilson’s song Before the Morning suggests – we feel like we are at the end of a dark part of our lives that comes right before morning.
Oh how we are ready for the day!