HOW DO YOU MEASURE A YEAR?

Today marks day Three Hundred and Sixty Six since I landed back in Canada. It would have been 365 but 2008 was a leap year, so it's 366 days!

Thinking back over this past year, one word that has surfaced is: Clarity. It's a bit surprising to me as I recount the various ways God has brought clarity to my life over the last 12 months. It's the same type of clarity one would get from an extended time of fasting. Interestingly, not once this whole year have I fasted from food. No, I suspect that for me, the clarity has come about as I have fasted from work.

This past year, God has given me clarity in terms of my relationship with Tim: we are now married (haha... how much clearer could that get?!). And I know now where I am to live and sink my roots: Vancouver. God has clarified my future life direction: bringing healing to people through the arts. And He has given me a next step in ministry: working one day a week as part of a creative resourcing team for the campuses.

To be honest, a year ago I was in so much despair I could never have dreamed that so much could change in a year. But it has. And God deserves all the credit.

GOD IN THE DARKNESS

Yesterday, I was re-reading the 10 Commandments (needed a refresher) and came across this very interesting verse at the end of Exodus chapter 20:

As the people stood in the distance, Moses entered into the deep darkness where God was. (v. 21)

Moses had to walk into the darkness alone. And in the darkness, he met God.

Most of the time, I associate God with light. But it's comforting to know that sometimes, God wants us to meet Him in the darkness.