About this time of year, many of us are thinking how we haven’t done so well with what we hoped or intended for the shiny new year! I didn’t make New Year’s Resolutions, but I did set some intentions. God also gave me a word for the year. This year’s is “discipline”. LOL, I’ve flunked miserably in the past six weeks. Discipline is about the last thing I’m showing signs of. Feels more like I should have “flaky” as my word of the year instead. Far more chance of living my word that way!
Thankfully God still has another 46 weeks of 2019 to work on me. I’m hoping by the end of the year I’ll be a lot more disciplined, and a lot less flaky.
The year so far has been interesting. Sometimes the good sort of interesting, and others… not so good! We’ve both had flu, the type that lingers. I had to have some medical tests done, and part of the prep exacerbated my “new normal” level of symptoms. Hubby has had some worse-than-usual flare-ups of his health problems. One of his beloved cats has gone missing. His elderly mother has put her home on the market and plans to move cross-country to be nearer her grandson and his family. My writing schedule suddenly went topsy-turvy and I’m now working on a different book, one I hadn’t intended to write till the summer. My brain doesn’t always respond well to sudden changes of gears like that, and I’ve been spinning my wheels more than I like.
None of this is really bad stuff. God is good, and he brings us through every trial. I know for sure that someday, we’ll get to recognize the gifts He had for us in the trials. And there’ve been plenty of blessings, too. One big bright sparkly one, a bunch of little pearly gleaming ones, and no doubt far more I didn’t even notice, hiding their treasures. As a teen I was fascinated by lapidary, the art of polishing pebbles and semi-precious stones. The most beautiful gemstones start off looking like pebbles, till they’re broken open or till the pebbly exterior is cut or polished away. Then their beauty shows.
A lot like trials. A lot like us.
I’m sure God sees the gemstone hiding in each and every person. Right now, all I see is pebble, in myself and in my life. But He sees the gem I will become, just as he sees the gem you’ll become, too. He’s definitely hard at work with that polishing process! Like a gemcutter working on a beautiful diamond or emerald or sapphire, He won’t stop until we’re perfect and sparkling and flawless. And if we don’t feel quite that gemlike, it’s good to know that even the plainest most ordinary pebble becomes beautiful when it’s polished right.
So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though the going is rough for a while down here. These trials are only to test your faith, to see whether or not it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests gold and purifies it — and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold; so if your faith remains strong after being tried in the test tube of fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day of his return. 1 Peter 1:6-7 (TLB)
I love being able to trust in God’s promises to grow us into the people He created us to be!
Characters can be pebbles, too, until we see the gem within. So much harder to write than the obvious gems! Sometimes I seriously struggle with those pebble characters. Could be why Brodie Macleans story has gone on hold again for a little while, so I can work on another project. This story is one I’m super-excited about. My first eighty-plus hero and heroine. And thankfully, they’re not hiding their God-given gem qualities quite as much as Brodie! But I’m looking forward to getting back to him soon, with some extra insights.
Just as soon as I get this novelette finished. :)
Talking of Brodie, I have the rest of the Macleans series on offer at present, as part of this multi-author promotion. If you’re looking for a new-to-you Christian romance this spring, check the books offered on the Spring Into Love page, hosted by Valerie Comer. All are free, 99c, or free with newsletter subscription until February 17th. And all are genuinely Christian, many from Inspy Romance authors.
How has your year been so far? Joyfully living your word (or your resolutions and intentions), or feeling the opposite of what you hoped? Any prayer or praise requests? One comment made on this post by February 20th will be randomly chosen to win the commenter’s choice of my ebooks.
USA Today bestselling author Autumn Macarthur writes romances full of faith and hope, celebrating God's love as well as a man and a woman finding their happily ever after. She prays they’ll warm your heart and make you smile. An Australian transplanted to Britain, Autumn lives just north of London with her lovely English husband and three demanding cats, in a very small house with a teensy tiny garden. She loves talking to readers, so please get in touch! And get a free Christian romance novella when you sign up for her reader newsletter at http://bit.ly/Autumnsubscribe
Hi Autumn, sorry to hear about your and your husband’s health issues- not a great start to the year! My oldest son is big into collecting rocks, he enjoys learning about geology. It is amazing how those plain rocks are hiding something so beautiful- I love that analogy with how God sees us:)
I have had a good start to the year- now that school is back it feels like time is racing by! and I continue to pray God gives me courage to share who He is.
Blessings:)
Good morning, Autumn! I am praying for you and your husband’s health issues! I so enjoyed the gemstone analogy, thank you! Glad you have some pearly things happening too during this polishing season! ❤️
Hi Autumn! Lucky for you (or would it be for me?), where I come from the year starts unofficially in March, as now we have our summer vacations, so our new year’s resolutions are still to begin. lol Even though or me this year has already come with full strength and it hasn’t even begun.
I like your concept of transforming form a pebble to a gemstone. Thank you for the reminder that we are constantly being transformed and polished by God.
Hope your husband gets better and when this year comes to an end you get to see how much better you are on your discipline and gets a new word for next year.
Hi Autumn! In college I took a geology class. Living near the shores of Lake Michigan I have always been fascinated by the power and polishing action of water on stones. Another amazing principle of rocks is that some are fluorescent and glow under black light. James L. Kraft (Kraft cheese founder) was an amateur jewelry maker. He was a believer. As a teen, I attended a conference at Green Lake, Wisconsin. He made unique pictures with ordinary pebbles and stones and shared his testimony that when Jesus the light of the world shines on us, he makes us into beautiful. The pebble pictures were monotone and not pretty. Then when the black light was turned on – James L. Kraft’s pictures were breath taking. Thanks for reminding us on this bleak winter morning of God transforming powers in our lives. Snow Day #9 in SW Michigan. A new record. Best wishes and happy writing.
Autumn–thank you for this post. For the first time in a long time I don’t have a WOTY. Not sure why. But I am trying to do things in a more timely manner instead of waiting until the last minute. It’s hard for me, but I’m trying. I like the pebble/gemstone analogy. So true!
Thanks for sharing, Autumn. I know that when a lot of unexpected things happen when I first get up, my whole day gets re-arranged, and I feel like I’m running to catch up the whole day. To have a year start out that way would be really challenging! Looking back, I remember that happened the year my mom died early in January. I can now see how God carried me through that difficult year! Praying for you!
Autumn, your post is for me lol – at least it feels this way! I didn’t do resolutions either, and my word is PEACE, which is the last thing I’m feeling right now; although, I’m trying. By God’s grace only I try not to worry about what future holds. I resigned from my job in January and seeking employment. Just need a constant reminder that He holds my future in His hands.
Blessings!
Good post, Autumn. Sorry for your/hub health issues….will be praying for you. We are experiencing the same thing so I know how tough it is!
Hi Wendy! I used to love collecting rocks. I kept a few, but in all the moves, a lot had to be let go. Agreed, the weeks are zipping by. Praying for you to speak God’s words with confidence whenever he leads you to.
Hi Paula! Yep, gotta be grateful for those pearls. And for the pebbles, too. ;)
Laura, praying your unofficial new year is altogether wonderful! :)
Wow, Renate! I love the interesting details you always add to the conversation. Those pebble images sound so amazing, and a wonderful analogy.
Praying for you and everyone else affected by the cold weather.
Praying for us both as we lean on God’s strength to help us , Lindi!
Hugs on your loss, Margaret. Thankfully, We’ve had no big bads to deal with so far this year. Lots of the little unexpected things, but that’s probably true of every year!
Praying for you, Natalya, that you rest in His peace as He guides you to the perfect place he wants you to be. Surrendering our plans totally to Him is so necessary, and so challenging!
Hugs, Jackie. Thanks for your prayers. I’m praying for you and your family too. <3
Thanks for this article, Autumn. And the good word from the Word. My word-speaking of words- for this year is Joy. I am sometimes struggling like you are with discipline, to remember to count it all joy. But like you I have the whole year, if it is God’s will, to learn joy and re-joicing instead of complaining. I have been praying for you and your husband and your health challenges. Pray for mine, too. I fight fibromyalgia and trouble sleeping. Also, I have leftover discomfort from nerve damage due to surgery April 2018, around my left ear and down the neck on my left side. By the way, I am reading your book Macleans 2 More Than Friends and enjoying it. Blessings to you and yours!
Praying, Doris. Health problems can certainly make joy and rejoicing feel challenging!
And I’m glad you’re enjoying More than Friends. The next book in the series is currently free, as part of the Spring promotion I linked to. :)
I will be praying for you and your husband. Health issues can zap the energy quickly.
What a beautiful way to thnk about God shaping us from pebbles into gemstones. Thanks for sharing.
I hope your year gets better. If it helps, in Brazil we have a saying that the year doesn’t really start officially until March (after carnival). So me? I’ve done probably a fifth of what needed to be done and then summer vacation. That ended early so I could come back and face real life before it eats me alive on it’s own timing.
Oh I forgot to mention I love the new picture you guys have for the website.
Thank you, Pam. I’m praying for you too.
I love the new look for the site, too.
Hugs, Priscila. I think we need to be very gentle with ourselves when it comes to those unmet expectations for how much we “should” get done. Praying for you. <3
Thank you. I just don’t feel there are enough hours in a day. Maybe I should think about a word for this year that will help me think clearly about my real goals.
Hugs! <3 It's not easy. I know you're juggling a lot of things at once, and the To Do list can feel insanely long and never-ending.
My feeling is we need to pray over what is most important. What three things do I most need to do today, what does God most want me to do today? Then everything after that can wait till another day, and no need to feel guilty about it.
I'm still in the process of learning this one!
I’m making a print screen of your questions and saving them somewhere I can see often ;)
Praying for you, Priscila. <3
I needed this today. My husband has some chronic health issues that have recently flared up in a big way. 2019 is not off to a great start, but maybe I should tell myself “these are pebbles” when I start to feel disheartened.
Hugs, Dianna. Caring for a spouse with chronic health issues isn’t easy. Praying for you both to feel God’s love supporting you through the challenges, and that the gemstones start shining through a little brighter. <3