Yesterday, I took the tree down.  It was shedding like crazy, the green was fading, and several lights were no longer working.  The ornaments were all moved, many of them finding their way to the upper portion of the tree due to my little ones curiousity. 

Every year I look forward to taking the tree down.  It's not because I don't like Christmas, in reality I love Christmas.  But taking the tree represents a new beginning to me.  A fresh year, a clean slate.  When I'm setting up the tree I'm remembering.  Remembering the year.  The good times, the bad, the struggles, and the joys.  And when I'm taking down the ornaments I'm letting go of the memories that hold me back.  For in some ways, I have a new start.

Nothing really changes...physically.  I still have the same financial crunches, scheduling issues, and daily life struggles.  Yet, somewhere, my mindset switches.  As my hands work to pack away the decorations my mind clears.  As I let go of the year past I begin to look forward to the year to come.  I start to anticipate the Lord's plans for this year, and realize the necessity of living for Him. 

It's hard.  Just yesterday I found myself overwhelmed with fear and worry over finances.  It's such a struggle to live abundantly and joyfully when the true and real pressures of the world squeeze in on all directions.  It seems like it would be so easy if everything was perfect.  But this world, this temporary home is simply not perfect.  There's sin.  And because of that strugggles and pain.  In the midst of all of that I desire to live alive and joyful.  But how?  How do you balance trials and joy?  In Hebrews 12:1 is states, "Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entagles, and let us run with pereverance the race marked out for us."  With perseverence.  When you run, especially a long run, it burns.  Your legs want to stop, your lungs are begging for air...and yet you continue to run.  When the trials of the world overwhelm, then doubt creeps in.  Doubt and questioning about the future.  And when that happens, my "legs" want to stop, to give up.  That anxiety and fear needs to be cast aside, for that hinders the perseverance.  And the only way to cast it off, to let it go, is to surrender my fears to the Lord.   It would be so much simpler to simply give up, to let go.  Living for Christ is about pressing on, looking to Him, praying and releasing fears to Him.  Pressing on requires throwing off those ornaments of pain, hardship and doubt and running despite the ache to quit.

Yesterday, while I was putting the ornaments away, it would have been easy to become stuck remembering the hard times of the past year.  Those memories could easily have defined my outlook on today and the year to come.  I am to look to Christ for my future, to look to Him, to trust and have faith. To live joyfully now. 

Keep looking up---

The waves that roar around your feet,

Jehovah-Jireh will defeat

When looking up.

Keep looking up--

Though darkness seems to wrap your soul;

The Light of Light will fill your soul

When looking up.

Keep looking up--

When worn, distracted with the fight;

Your Captain gives you conquering might

When you look up.

(Streams in the Desert, pg.139-140)

May this be a year of looking up. 

Rachel