\u00a9CandyArrington<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
January 3, 2025 marks the one-year anniversary of the day I found Jim\u2019s lifeless body at the top of the back stairs. It\u2019s not really the kind of anniversary you want to acknowledge, yet there it is on the calendar, the \u201c3\u201d pulsing with emotion and memories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For many months after Jim\u2019s death, I relived that day, trying to decide if I missed something significant that might have given me a clue to what was about to happen. No matter how many times I replay the events of that day, no warning stands out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I wouldn\u2019t be truthful if I said last year was easy, because it wasn\u2019t. Every \u201cfirst\u201d was a hurdle, each solo experience bittersweet. For months, I felt as if a dense fog covered me as I waded through shock and struggled to move forward. Small tasks felt huge. I kept thinking of things I wanted to tell Jim. Not having the chance to say goodbye left closure open-ended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m glad this year of firsts is drawing to a close, but stepping further into the unknown, the next year on the calendar feels equally hard. Will people expect me to be \u201cover\u201d grief? Should I be able to regain a new level of forward motion? Those questions are yet to be answered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Entwined in the grieving process are myriad emotions. For months, I found it impossible to cry. I wondered if something was wrong with me, this stoic lack of emotion. Eventually, something tiny triggered tears interlaced with primal groaning. Never before had I experienced such deep emotion. It was a little frightening, those sounds I\u2019d never heard coming from within. Although that level of emotion has eased, grief lingers just under the surface, waiting to spring forth with a memory, a picture, or longing for Jim\u2019s physical presence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is in life\u2019s most difficult seasons that we experience the greatest spiritual growth. In this year of firsts, I\u2019ve come to know God in a deeper way, to experience His faithfulness and presence as never before. Spiritual growth following an unexpected life event cements our relationship with the Father more securely. We learn to trust more fully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are walking a hard life path, don\u2019t push spiritual growth away. None of us welcome difficulty, but the rugged journey prepares us for what comes next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
God is the giver of peace, but also, He is our peace. God\u2019s mercies are fresh and new with each sunrise. He doesn\u2019t abandon us in times of grief, fear, frustration, and loneliness. He loves us unconditionally and stands ready to envelop us in arms of comfort and grace. Peace in times of trial is a great gift; one we can claim and cling to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For some reason, 2025 feels a little scarier than 2024. Having gotten through this hard last year, that flicker of fear regarding the new year doesn\u2019t make sense. I\u2019ve done the hardest year, haven\u2019t I? So why the hesitation?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Forward motion hinges on trust, not faith in our own abilities, but trust in God\u2019s faithfulness. I can move into 2025 with confident courage because I have a history with God. He has never let me down. God doesn\u2019t disappear when hardship is heavy and uncertainty niggles at the back of our minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Forward motion doesn\u2019t guarantee a smooth path ahead, but God\u2019s faithfulness promises just enough light for the next step and help for any hurdles we encounter. So, move beyond the shackles of doubt and look ahead to all the blessings awaiting you in 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLet your eyes look straight ahead and your sight be focused in front of you. Carefully walk a straight path, and all your ways will be secure\u201d (Proverbs 4:25-26 GW).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00a9CandyArrington<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n
![\"Candy](\"http:\/\/livingyourbestlife60plus.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Candy-Arrington_1394-240x300-1.jpg\")