{"id":94091,"date":"2020-01-07T16:30:20","date_gmt":"2020-01-07T23:30:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/?p=94091"},"modified":"2020-01-07T16:30:20","modified_gmt":"2020-01-07T23:30:20","slug":"wondering-what-is-just-around-the-corner-in-a-new-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/articles\/topics\/holidays\/wondering-what-is-just-around-the-corner-in-a-new-year\/","title":{"rendered":"Wondering What is Just Around the Corner in a New Year?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"bsf_rt_marker\" fetchpriority=\"high\"><\/div><p style=\"padding-top: 30px\">You may have seen the cartoon depicting an aerial view of a guy sauntering down a city sidewalk, past a high-rise building, approaching an intersection. His head\u2019s held high, he\u2019s whistling &#8230; and totally oblivious.<\/p>\n<p>The view from above shows a rhinoceros on the cross street\u2014head down, charging at full speed. Unbeknownst to the man or the beast, these two are about to meet at the corner. The outcome will be disastrous. Especially for the human.<\/p>\n<p>The new year may bring things you\u2019re expecting. A new job or baby. A new house or new city. The vacation you\u2019ve been saving for. The degree you\u2019ve been working toward. You\u2019ve already put these on your calendar.<\/p>\n<p>But\u2014and you\u2019re not going to be shocked by this news\u2014there are going to be surprises. In addition to the good things you\u2019re anticipating, this coming year you may encounter some unexpected, rhino-like calamities. Over the years, various friends of ours have been hit head-on with pain that blindsided them:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin: 0 0 15px 1.5em\">\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 8px\">A mate announced he reconnected with an old flame and wants out of the marriage.<\/li>\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 8px\">An unknown intruder broke into a college student\u2019s apartment, assaulting and nearly killing her.<\/li>\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 8px\">A woman suffered multiple painful miscarriages and is unable to carry a child to term.<\/li>\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 8px\">A young adult child stormed out the door in open rebellion. To this day, his parents have no idea where he is or if they\u2019ll ever see him again.<\/li>\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 8px\">A doctor relayed the grim report: \u201cYour cancer is back. It\u2019s stage 4.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>The Author of a new year<\/h2>\n<p>The author of Hebrews urges us not to throw in the towel when we face seasons of hardship (as we all certainly will): \u201cLet us run\u00a0with endurance the race that is\u00a0set before us\u201d (Hebrews 12:1).<\/p>\n<p>Notice the race we\u2019re running is not entirely one we\u2019ve planned for. We didn\u2019t enter this address into our GPS at the outset of the course. No, this race was \u201cset before us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Envision the blind corner around the edge of that building and the huge, angry animal headed for the intersection\u2014with you coming from the other direction, whistling a happy tune.<\/p>\n<p>In the new year, it may be a puppy bounding down the sidewalk to meet you at the corner. Or it may be a charging rhino.<\/p>\n<p>Between us, we have received many desirable blessings over the course of our lives. Meaningful work. Good health. Provision for our basic needs. The encouragement of loving friends and families. Five years ago, through a remarkable series of events, our lives intersected\u2014a 67-year-old widower and a 57-year-old woman who never married. Our marriage in this autumn season has been a sweet gift from God.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fl-article-cta\"><div class=\"fl-article-cta-wrapper\"><a class='fl-article-cta-button' style='margin-top: 15px; visibility: visible; background-color: #f3bd48 !important;' target='_blank' href='https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/subscriptions\/' data-color-override='false' data-hover-color-override='false' data-hover-text-color-override='#fff'><span>Receive more encouraging content like this delivered to your inbox!<i class='fa fas fa-envelope'><\/i><\/span> <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>\n<h2>Twists and turns<\/h2>\n<p>But we also had some life-altering experiences that felt something like run-ins with rhinos. Losing a wife to cancer after nearly 45 years of marriage (Robert). The death of a 22-year-old brother in a car wreck (Nancy). The sudden loss of a business that provided my family\u2019s livelihood (Robert). The unexpected death of my dad, leaving my 40-year-old mother widowed with seven children, ages 8 to 21 (Nancy).<\/p>\n<p>We couldn\u2019t have seen these events coming, and we never would have chosen them to be part of our story. But we\u2019ve been comforted again and again by the assurance that we have a Father in heaven who has an aerial view of all things and that none of these events caught Him off-guard. We have come to believe with all our hearts that He is good, wise, and loving, and He makes no mistakes.<\/p>\n<p>As we look back on the twists and turns of past years and wonder what lies before us in the year ahead, there is one thing of which we are certain: <a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/series\/you-can-trust-god-to-write-your-story\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">We can trust God to write our story<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>It&#8217;s a race<\/h2>\n<p>The race that is set before us has been planned by a God who loves us and wants only the best for us. Come what may. And the prescription for facing the unknown with hope is simply this: \u201cLooking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith\u201d (Hebrews 12:2).<\/p>\n<p>Peace in the face of tomorrow\u2019s trials is not found in a plan, but in a Person. He knows you. He cares about you. He loves you. He is with you.<\/p>\n<p>These truths will anchor your heart throughout a new year. A new decade. Whatever may be just around the corner, you can trust God to write your story.<\/p>\n<p>\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><em>Copyright \u00a9 2019 Nancy and Robert Wolgemuth.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth is an author, speaker, and founder of Revive Our Hearts Ministries. She and Robert\u00a0 author, speaker, and literary agent co-authored the recently released You Can Trust God to Write Your Story, from Moody Publishers. Find <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reviveourhearts.com\/books\/you-can-trust-god\/.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">more information here.\u00a0<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A new job. Losing a baby. A new house. Or a spouse&#8217;s confession. We can\u2019t see what the new year may bring, but we can trust God to write our story.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":349,"featured_media":94099,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"A new job. Losing a baby. A new house. Or a spouse&#039;s confession. 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