It was the best of times, it was the worst of times

Wow, the year has flown by faster than I got shot down by the cute blonde next to me in sixth grade. A year ago today I was packing wet clothes into my pack after a day surfing on the island of Kauai and preparing to head back to "regular life." I had been away for 6 and a half months and it was time to head back home to Colorado. Instead of comfort back home all I found was uncertainty...relationships, jobs, a place to live, future plans- ALL up in the air. I was down. I was wondering where I might fit into this matrix of potential energy that seemed to mount and plateau. The adventure of working on a lonely continent and delving into the beauty of the world was put on pause. What about all that "you have a bright future" talk? Where is that now? I wanted stability, but instead God gave me a true look at himself. Father. Author. Understander. Best friend. And fellow Journeyer. Slowly things fell into place to make this the biggest year of growth in my entire life. For years God has been real to me but this year God made life around me real- REAL hard, REAL new, REAL exciting, REAL unpredictable. Now I feel more prepared to minister to others going through REAL life right next to me. Of the biggest things I have learned I will just say this, TRUST. Trust that God understands and gives immeasurably more than we can imagine. Trust that He gives what we need, usually not what we want. Trust that the morning will come and the light again will remind us that we are part of something much bigger than us. Trust that springtime of the soul is not just near but it is waiting to spring from the depths on his command. For all who are hurting, uncertain, cautious, striving, and desperate- I can identify. God hears you, He understands, and He reminds you that He is bigger still. I would love to hear your comments and emails about how God has changed you in the last year. AlanBriggsis@gmail.com