A Resolute 2025

I was recently with my sister-in-law, Chris, as she spoke to her mom on the phone regarding her decision to enter hospice care. She has since been delivered safely into
the arms of Jesus, but one of the things she said to her mom about leaving this place was, “Mom, there’s a lot going on in 2025, I don’t want to miss it.” It’s hard to see
someone leave the party early as we did with Chris. We have a bigger party ahead when we get to heaven, but these pre party festivities we encounter while briefly down
here are full of wonder and hope itself.

I have been a grandmother for a little over a year now…I love that role. I will have another grandbaby in February. I will see my last high school sports season as a mom

(tennis) and that same child graduates from high school in May. I will celebrate my 40th wedding anniversary in June and my 4th child’s wedding in October 2025. I will turn 60. This is all preliminary planning and tentative, because what I do know is that we can make our plans, but God establishes our steps (Proverbs 16:9). Life has taught me that there are no guarantees.

What I do know is that in the midst of all the wonderful blessings I encounter, I will also encounter losses and hurts and plenty of missteps along the way. My attitude and my personal spiritual preparation will help me maneuver whatever comes my way that is out of my control. I have been teaching from Genesis this past year for Precept. Genesis 4 hit me differently when it came to the telling of Cain and Abel. If you remember, both brothers had offerings, but God had no regard for Cain’s offering and Cain became angry. God asked Cain, “Why are you angry and why has your countenance fell? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must master it.” We know that Cain was unable to master it and there were consequences.

My wonderful life that is full of joys and blessings has also presented me opportunities for anger and for sin to have me. I have realized I must be resolute to master it. This past year has shown me I have been vulnerable to unforgiveness, and I must be continuing the long and hard task of what I call " forgiveness work". Sometimes I have been able to leave my forgiveness at the altar and that will be the end of it, but I have also been unable to fully leave all of it and it’s heavy and I realize that forgiveness is also a process. 

My Wednesday Night Bible Study has decided to redo a study we did in 2022, “Forgiving What You Can’t Forget”. We jokingly realized that most of us, while we did it, had a lot going on, and needed to continue that work of forgiving. I am grateful for a community that I feel safe with to do this work of forgiveness . My decision to be resolute about forgiveness in 2025 comes with the hard realization that our time here on earth is short and we want to be fully present and enjoy the moments we step into. Unforgiveness is like a cloud that hangs over all of that. I also believe we cannot take hold of what God is placing in front of us while we hang on to it. I have also had the realization that some of my hurts and hardships have come so I can be ready for what comes next. It had to happen so I could open my palm for what God has in store for me personally and as part of the body of Christ.

Christmas Eve service was a wonderful reminder to me that God has a plan for Wesley Chapel UMC. The house was full of people, love and light and we felt his Spirit with us. This was all despite having our worship leader out sick. God worked out the details, people stepped up to serve, and we had a rich and beautiful service.

We have so much to look forward to in 2025. Seeing God work out the details of Somas Unos, the Spanish Speaking Church, that will take shape this year on our campus is a reminder to me that God’s ways and His Plans will be accomplished. We need only to decide if we will be part of His Work or not. My desire for 2025 is to be resolute in leaving my unforgiveness behind and in joining full heartedly in the work He has before us. May 2025 be a year of peace, love, and joy for Wesley Chapel.