2011 Here We Boldly Come!

It’s a new year and there’s something about beginning a new year that makes me want to de-clutter, clean house and re-organize. My office at church has desperately needed some attention so I dove into the process. I threw away bags of the obsolete, archived the old but useful or important, gave away what could be used by someone but no longer needed by me, and re-organized my office.

While looking through the box of production pictures from years past, I was overwhelmed with emotion. Tears flooded my eyes and poured down my cheeks as my chest heaved with the memories of what God has done. Yes, I saw pictures of people who have moved on, moved away or even died. But it wasn’t that which produced this emotion.

It was the memory of the fear I used to face with each production met by the constant faithfulness of God. I used to ask myself, “What in the world have I committed to? God, isn’t there someone else more qualified, more creative, more confident than me?” Fear of not having enough people for each highly creative portion of the musicals used to haunt me? When we first started I did a little bit of everything but sound. But as the ministry grew, I had to believe that God would bring along the talent needed and so, He did.

Then when we moved into the new sanctuary in late 2002 I wondered, “Okay, God, how are we going to fill all this space with sets?” ‘How will we ever get it all done in time? But, I had learned that God is faithful. So now when the fear hit the pit of my stomach, I responded “But God is faithful.” And, He was.

These pictures represented God’s faithfulness. I was overwhelmed not with fear but with gratitude for God’s continual faithfulness through all the years.

There’s an old song that says, “Many things about tomorrow, I don’t seem to understand, but I know who holds tomorrow and I know He holds my hand.” None of us know what 2011 holds for us personally, our families, our jobs, our church or our nation. But this one thing we can know – God is faithful and no matter what comes our way, He is with us to help and support, to cheer and encourage, and to bless and empower.

No fear in 2011! Let trust in God calm our spirits and soothe our troubled minds. As God has been faithful to me through every detail of the musicals through over twenty years, so He will be faithful to us as we “fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” 2011, here we boldly come!