A New Box of Crayons

"And he who was seated on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new.' Also he said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.'" Rev 21:5

I am embarrassed to say how much I love fantasy football and the NFL season.  For those who have not discovered the maddening journey through a fantasy world of fantasy teams consider yourself lucky.  Over the course of this season I have grieved injuries from men I will never meet, experienced defeats and victories from teams for whom I have never played and considered broken dreams from goals I’ve never had.  I know… pathetic.  But the ultimate rejection was this morning when I pulled up my ESPN app to discover these words… Mama Bear, your season is over.  No discussion...no reminiscing...no further interaction.  I had fostered a season of extreme participation only to feel like I had been left behind…broken up with…forced to move forward and embrace a new season up ahead.

This morning on the front porch looking over the Folly River I couldn’t help but draw some parallels regarding the last day of 2018.  This year’s season is almost over, and I have fostered some fears that never came to be.  I have participated in the victories and defeats of others that were not mine but were connected to my heart by praying for them.  Some of my days were filled with idleness while others were filled with meaning, but every day was lived and documented.  Our experiences and how we responded have colored our 2018 picture, leaving us with just a few more strokes until midnight.  I wonder what dominant color your picture displays …blacks and grays of sadness…reds and blacks of anger…blues and pastels of joy...the golds of deep gratitude?

This morning’s fog and inability to see beyond the dock reminds me that 2019’s season has yet to be colored in.  It is a foggy black and white view because we cannot see what 2019 holds for our lives.  It is so tempting to just allow the colors of 2018 to bleed over into our new season…our new picture.  But what if our colors of 2018 reflected our pain…our disappointments…our bordom?  Why should we allow our 2018 season to have any power over our 2019 season?  I know many families who will be ecstatic to break up with 2018 and move on.  It is certainly important to process each season in which we have participated but it is equally important to give 2019 a chance…a chance to have different colors…a chance to embrace the fog…a chance to paint its own picture.  God holds every detail in His hands when it comes to each of us.  He has a beautiful plan even in pain to make every season purposeful…profitable…powerful.  He makes all things new from the old things and expects us to grow and change with each season. 

So, as we make a final color mark on our 2018 season, may we allow God to fill in the first color of our 2019 season.  It’s going to be an exciting year of a fresh canvas, a new box of crayons and a faithful God!