Look Back to Move Foward into 2023
For our New Year to be NEW as God intends, He invites us to LOOK BACK on the lessons from years before so our faith in Him MOVES us FORWARD, further toward Him...because he wants us to know, experience, that He is always near!
“Starting from scratch, God made the entire human race and made the earth hospitable, with plenty of time and space for living so we could seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find him. He doesn't play hide-and-seek with us. He's not remote; he's near.”— Acts 17:27 MSG
Below is my retelling of a personal trial I went through 3 years ago when I had miserable physical suffering due to a herniated disc. This protruding disc was placing extreme pressure on my sciatic nerve causing excruciating pain down my hip, leg and foot to the point that, today, I‘m still dealing with three numb toes on my left foot that feel like they have been left stuck in an arctic snowbank.
Not only did I have pain from my ever-so-nearby body parts, but also I had the pain of being away from my husband and kids. Charlie and Caris were halfway across the states visiting a university in Michigan and Austin was away attending Cedarville University.
Upon receiving a spinal injection in hopes to alleviate some pain and help me gain back some mobilization, the injection didn’t seem to do a thing (I couldn’t sit, stand, walk or even lay in my bed for any length of time). In fact, twelve hours later, the pain had grown worse. In those twelve hours I remember having three different occasions of blood-curdling screaming fits as pain shot through my left hip and leg in higher concentration than ever before!
On the third occasion (around 2am), as tears streamed and pooled onto my neck, I decided to reach out and “touch” the One who promises to be ALL-Present and ALL-Powerful. Literally crying out loud to my Heavenly Father, I told Him how much I was hurting. I cried and whimpered, “Daddy, please take some of this pain away, please...please...p l e a s e...I know You are able, Daddy so would you please?” And, no kidding, just moments after I paused, my pain fell from the pain levels 9/10 to a 6/7! I could finally breathe pretty normal without groaning and gasping. I remember smiling and then humbly asking, “Daddy, a little bit more?” As I waited, I took out my phone and began to read God’s Word from a YouVersion Plan, Day 3, on Suffering:
'Gospel Hope Through Suffering: A 5-Day Video Devotional with Paul David Tripp'. Check it out here:https://www.bible.com/en/reading-plans/13049
As I began to read the Scripture passage first from Acts 17, my pain slowly lowered to an incredible level 3/4! I hadn’t felt that good in days!!! I could even lay on my side instead of tummy or back!
But the most marvelous of all was how this entire Day 3 devotional spoke identically to what I just experienced and narrated above!
Amen & Praise the Lord!
Oh, friend, I pray you truly have my Heavenly Father as YOUR personal Heavenly Father, too.
My prayer is that this New Year 2023 be unparralled to any past year of your life...that your relationship with God and others deepen as never before because you are experiencing greater joy and fulfillment because you are truly living and thriving, aligned to your God-given design!
If you struggle to know or be assured that you do, please feel free to reach out to me. Your well-being in this life and the life to come depends on this precious relationship.
If you struggle to live aligned to your God-given design because you feel strangled by unrealistic expectations or feel presently tormented by guilt, shame, confusion, anxiety in the midst of your day to day, please consider allowing me to come alongside you and help you walk through these times for greater personal joy, purpose and impact!
If you long for someone to help you peel back the layers of your heart and mind that seem to be squelching your life and joy so you can experience the peace and freedom God longs for you to have every single day, please take a look at what my coaching-journeys have to offer you!
If you are in a season of life where you feel unsure of your purpose and want clarity in your role for the year ahead, consider investing in The Masterpiece Encounter where I take you through a series of thought-provoking exercises so you can receive the confidence and courage God wants you to have to live out according to the masterpiece He says you are this year!
Tami Thorsenabout.me/tami.thorsenCertified ICF PCC Life-Coach | COACH Model Trainer Tami Thorsen Coaching Ministries“Helping you live aligned to your God-given design for greatest Gospel impact”