Collage of Life

Our lives are a huge collage of things.
 

First steps, first scrapes, learning to ride a bike...First day of school, graduations, college, engagements, weddings,pregnancies, newborns...

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And it starts all over again with newborns, first steps, first scrapes…

First time to sit in Pa's lap.

first day of school,

 First Snow

Learning to ride a bike...

First haircuts,

First day of high school,  First dates, first dance,


First Deer

More engagements, weddings, and newborns

Along the way there are triumphs, fears, victories, and battles.  There are things that bring great joy and equally great sorrow.

We walk tall, trip and fall, dust ourselves off and get moving again.

We lead or we follow as we try to do our best in everything we do.

Sometimes it seems we move along at some great rate -meeting goals, accomplishing things, and making strides and life is great.  Then out of nowhere we meet a wall.  Or HIT a wall, or something sad happens and there is grief.

And so sometimes we grieve.

The bible says as Christians we don’t have to grieve as those who have no hope.  Yet still we grieve  when there is a death of a loved one, with the end of something, or some loss of another kind.   When you lose something you have always known or known for a long time.  A way of life, how things should be, whatever it is…  along the way sometimes we grieve.

But we cant stay there.

Psalm 121: 1&2    I lift up my eyes to the hills. From whence does my help come?  My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth

I have a little hanging plaque with this scripture on it.  I see it daily in my bathroom.  It is a good reminder.  We need to be reminded to LOOK UP.  We need to be reminded where our help comes from.  He is our help.  There is no better helper.  No better help.

No matter what disappoints, hurts, scares, infuriates us, or even changes our lives, our God is still on the throne.  My mother in law just told me yesterday, "Yes Bill left, but Jesus hasnt gone from me."  God never changes, disappoints or leaves us.  We can still trust Him, rely on Him, and lean on Him.   1 Peter 5:7  Cast all your care upon Him, for He careth for you.

As a matter of fact, He is the only one who does not disappoint.  We must put our hope and trust in Him and Him alone.

Psalm 46:1  God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Psalm 146: 5-6

Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
    whose hope is in the Lord their God.

He is the Maker of heaven and earth,
    the sea, and everything in them—
    he remains faithful forever.

What an awesome promise! What an awesome God.

When things fail around us, it is great to know that no matter what, we still and always will be able to rely on our Father in Heaven.  Even as we begin the process of doing that, we will feel the weight, of whatever may be lurking near, lighten up.  That’s why Jesus says to take up his yoke.  For his yoke is easy, and his burden is light.  So take that thing that seems strapped around your neck and remove it.  Place it on Jesus.  He can handle it way better than we can and we will be able to breathe easier along the way, in this collage of things that make life.