October 1st is the new January 1st

Last winter, I went to a Christmas party that was more than just a get-together, because encouraging words were spoken and prayers were prayed that I’m still thinking about.

I remember saying to the group (and it has been quoted back to me): “This year (2014) has been one of the best years of my life. I ran my first half-marathon and I wrote a book. I feel like I’ve had the energy of a teenager combined with the wisdom and life experience of a 35-year-old.” That year ended with a bang!

Then the first 6 months of 2015 were really hard. I can’t get into all the details here, but winter felt really dreary to me – physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I launched my first book out into the world in January, and although that was a huge moment in my life, it was also emotionally draining. I traveled internationally in March, and I remember coming back to real life afterward and thinking “life is just the same-old-same-old and I have nothing exciting to look forward to at the moment.” (This is a lie from the devil, by the way. And I believed it for a while.)

As June rolled in, my life did get more exciting. Mike and I spent a week catching up with friends and family in North Carolina. My brother got engaged and began planning a wedding out of state, which led to the idea of a fun road trip for my husband and me.

Toward the end of June, I decided that July 1 would be my January 1. I needed a fresh start to this year, because so far I had looked at 2015 with a “this year stinks!” attitude. Mike and I still wait for a miraculous pregnancy, and we still wait for breakthrough in other areas and dreams in our lives.

Along the way, I pondered this scripture:

Habakkuk 3:17-19

Though the fig tree does not bud

And there are no grapes on the vines,

Though the olive crop fails

And the fields produce no food,

Though there are no sheep in the pen

And no cattle in the stalls,

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,

I will be joyful in God my Savior.

The Sovereign Lord is my strength;

He makes my feet like the feet of a deer,

He enables me to go on the heights.”

And on June 30, 2015, I sat down with God, coffee, and my laptop, and wrote the following:

“I decree that the second half of 2015 will be better than the first. I proclaim JOY over the next 6 months of my life, for Mike, me, our children yet-to-be, and every person we touch or influence. I speak LIFE, JOY, HOPE, PEACE, and greater things that are yet to come.”

Then July hit us with a whirlwind of busy life. No time to wallow in self-pity, and not even a spare moment to waste on TV. (Which had become a bad habit in the previous few months.)

For most of July, we had friends’ kids staying with us. Here’s a fact: when your heart hurts because you have no children of your own, invite the children of tired parents to stay for a few weeks. You won’t have time or energy to mope around.

August and September ended up being full AND fun!

Abundant life found me again, and joy and hope and peace came back in the second half of this year.

Sometimes you’ve got to press on – and sometimes you’ve got to stop and declare that THIS is the point where things will change. This is the time for a new season (whether it’s January or July or October or any other time). Sometimes you’ve just got to declare that this is the moment when I will invite the presence of God to shift things.

And He’s faithful. God is faithful to answer when we call out to Him. If you ask, He can change things. Your circumstances might not change immediately, but if you’re willing to make a heart change, God can and will turn you around.

If you feel like you're stuck in a rut, struggling with the blues, or overall unhappy with your life, ask God to shift your perspective. Tell Him you're ready for something fresh. Rejoice despite the pain. Jesus came to give us abundant life and He can make that happen!

 

 

Hi, I'm Betsy, and I live in the Washington, D.C. area with my husband, Mike. We have been married since 2008. We enjoy exploring new cities together on foot, eating at our favorite Italian restaurants, and doing life as a team. I published my first book Embracing Hope During Infertility in January 2015. You can learn more about me here. I invite you to connect with me by following my Hope During Infertility Facebook page or my Betsy Herman, Writer Facebook page. Thanks so much for reading my posts!