ART & INSPIRATION BY PAUL & KATHY BOECHER

My great grandson has been walking for a while now. He’s getting better at it every day. At first, he had to be watched and somewhat sheltered so he wouldn’t hurt himself, but a few falls and bruises have made him well aware that there are consequences to moving too fast. When we approach a new year, our first thought is to get out of the old one as quickly as we can. All the ugliness – tears – failed goals – disappointments – pain and loss are things we would prefer to leave behind. We set our hopes high for the coming year. We almost expect things to get better, but that isn’t always the case. In most instances, we often forget those resolutions and go back to the same bad habits.

The watercolor I’m sharing today, gives a sense of moving from one space to another. Change can be difficult, or it can lead to something better. As long as we dwell on this planet, there will be troubles. Even though God answers prayers He sometimes has a purpose for us to go through dark times. It’s part of the thing we call life. He may want us to experience those times to toughen us. Maybe He wants us to learn from them. It could be that our challenges in this life are preparing us for what’s to come. We can only guess what He intends from these obstacles. We can be sure that it is for our good that He sets them in our way.

The toddler struggles at first with those initial steps. He may run into a table. He might get hurt. He might even have to try again. The simple truth is that we have our God walking beside us. He will rescue us from the pains that go along with falling. He’ll show us that bad decisions have bad consequences. He loves us, even though our stubborn natures often get us into trouble.

As we prepare for changing the page on the calendar – turning over a new leaf – making resolutions that we know we won’t keep – let’s look forward to new horizons. These times of grace allow us to learn and eventually win the race. The prize comes and it bestows the crown of eternal life.

“THE SECRET OF GETTING AHEAD IS GETTING STARTED.” Mark Twain