Dear friend: a letter for the end of a year

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By now you know I didn’t get Christmas cards sent this year. Though I couldn’t squeeze out the time to get them done, I feel compelled to carve out this time to write you a letter. A real letter. There’s something I want you to know before tomorrow comes and we stand on the first step of 2014 and wave goodbye to the year that was 2013. There’s something I need to tell you.

I looked back over our Facebook messages to remember that thing you said to me, but I got distracted, scrolling through all the things that made up this year. Most of our Facebook friends would never know or believe all the things meant only for private messages and cups of coffee over small tables. You’ve had a hard year, sweet friend.

You never expected your year to contain the events it did. You never imagined you would have to do what you’ve done. You never guessed you would learn what you did. You never dreamed you would need to overcome what you have. But you did, and now this big, heavy, hard year is almost over. I’m holding my breath with you to see what’s next.

Photo by Microsoft Office

And that’s why I want you to know. I want you to know God’s mercies have not been exhausted. You might be wondering if you’ve used them up or gotten to the bottom, but you have not. So many times I’ve heard your requests for prayer, listened to the pain in your silence, and read the grief in your eyes. I’ve wanted to fix it for you, like we fix scratches in paint and recipes we mess up. That’s what girlfriends do, though I haven’t been able to fix the burdens you’ve carried this year. But God’s mercies have not run dry. On the contrary (I’m using some of our Downton Abbey talk), they’re constantly renewing, never stopping, never quitting, always showing up in the form of God’s faithfulness to us. That’s right! To US! To me and to YOU, my sweet friend with the year she might rather forget.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
(Lamentations 3:22-23)

We are about to start a new year, my dear friend. Keep clinging to the Lord as you walk through these challenges and heave them into the new calendar. God WILL. NOT. LEAVE. YOU. If you just keep asking, He will keep pouring His mercies out on you more and more.

It’s hard for me to believe, but God loves you more than I do. I want you to know that as you wrap up this hard year and embrace the start of a new one. He will never let you down, never disappoint you, never betray you, never turn away from you, and never stop loving you.

I love you friend, and I’m praying for a mercy-full 2014 for you and for me,

Julie for The M.O.M. Team

_______________________________________________________

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2014 M.O.M. Conference ~ BETTER TOGETHER

July 31st – August 2nd,

Jacksonville, Florida at Trinity Baptist Church

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Julie Sanders

Julie Sanders and her husband just relocated from the land of sweet tea to the Inland Northwest. The mom of two college students, Julie loves mentoring women around the world, bringing justice to the vulnerable, and teaching God’s truths for life. Julie was blessed when seasoned moms walked the marriage and motherhood journey with her and is grateful “grace abounded much more” (Rom. 5:20) than her failures. She is passionate about fighting human trafficking and is the author of Expectant: 40 Devotions for New and Expectant Moms. Join Julie at Come Have a Peace, on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, and don't miss Marriage Mondays. She invites you to contact her about speaking at your women's event or mommy meeting. www.juliesanders.org