Four Words for 2022 - Gloria Guest

 This year I feel that God had given me four words for the journey through 2022:

 Light,

 Mountain,

 Forgiveness, 

Redemption, 

There is a lot packed into those four words; 

I loved the word, ‘light’ as it suggests that some darkness, which I have known for too long, will dissipate. I have spent a lot of time in my past working on some very hard areas in my life and so the promise of the word, ‘light’ feels rewarding and welcome to me. I can’t wait to find out what God wants to show me in the light. One area of light that recently revealed itself in my writing life came in the way of some inspiration as to who I could ask to illustrate a small booklet, about a poem I wrote about Saskatchewan. It’s long been on my mind; and there she was, illuminated in my mind as the perfect person. Personally, God revealed to me some words that were spoken to me regarding friendship that I needed to break off of my life. I’m looking forward to God shining His light on new friendships this year.

Psalm 18:28 “You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.”

On the other hand, I shrank from the word, ‘mountain.’ It sounded grueling and like more hard work coming my way. I’m sure that there probably is. Yet I have climbed mountains before in my life and was never alone. God has always been there. He’s taught me already that it’s one step at a time. Perhaps that is why He led me to buy a life journal to keep me motivated along the way. It’s definitely part of my ‘climbing kit’ and I’ll be looking for other tools as well, with the comfort that comes straight from His word, the best there is.

 

Ps 121:1-2 “I life up my eyes to the mountains-where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”

The word, ‘forgiveness’ also seems daunting; yet I wasn’t surprised as God had already been leading me to learn more about what true forgiveness is and isn’t. Forgiveness has been hard for me. Great hurt can produce great pain and great resentment. These things aren’t as easily dealt with as many Christians would have us believe. But through some trauma healing, I find myself at a better place to consider how forgiveness can be a bigger part of my daily life. I look forward to moving forward in life without the baggage of unforgiveness weighing me down.

 

Luke 23: 34 “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

The last word, ‘redemption,’ came to me through a quiz I took, through Hallmark cards online. I answered a few personal questions about where I was at in my emotional and spiritual life and that is the word it gave me for 2022. I found it intriguing. I still haven’t looked it up definition-wise, but I do know that it is about being bought back; being forgiven and renewed; both of which. I think this word might end up proving the most rewarding and exciting of my year.

Lamentations 3:57-58 “You came near when I called you, and you said, “Do not fear. You, Lord, took up my case; you redeemed my life.”

What direction will God lead me in my personal and writing life as I unpack those four words He has given me? I just know that in the next months that God wants to lead me into the light; He has a mountain for me to climb, (which will include that tough word, forgiveness) but not alone. I’ll be with Him in the climbing and maybe by the end of the year there will even be a glorious summit, where I will meet that beautiful word, ‘redemption.’

Gloria Guest lives in Caron, Sk. where she writes and blogs. She is a past reporter/columnist and has published a few other personal pieces, with a work in progress. She also takes editing classes from Simon Fraser University, working towards an Editing Certificate.

The Cross - Gloria Guest

Turning the page over on the calendar to April this month I was met with a scene of The Cross painted by Thomas Kinkade. The ‘painter of light’ depicted the empty cross high atop Golgotha, a surreal glow emanating from the darkening sky. The Cross, once only seen as an instrument of torture and death has because of Jesus, come to be viewed as representing peace, grace, love, even beauty. Only God can turn something ugly and murderous into something beautiful and life giving.

I’ve never practiced Lent as a form of my faith although I can see much value in it. This past couple of weeks though I found myself in a difficult situation that did require me to sacrifice something and to release it to God.

Our son who serves in the Canadian Armed Forces was senselessly and violently attacked by a gang (not military) while on a training course. He was left with a concussion and a broken jaw that he had to have wired shut for the next six weeks. It was a traumatic experience for him and us. On top of this, his injury made him unfit to complete his course; something that he had been doing very well in. This experience left me as his mother with many emotions to process and a struggle to forgive.

However, as I did start to move through the emotional process I became more and more aware of how God had gone before me and had actually prepared me. It was like He had already turned that page on the calendar  before I even got there. He had already been to The Cross.

Throughout the days leading up to my son’s injury I had watched a number of Easter shows depicting the life of Christ; His ministry, crucifixion and resurrection. Each time I felt amazed when from that cross, Jesus spoke the words,

“Father, forgive them. For they know not what they do.”

Luke 23:34

It was those words that had already found a way into my heart that now surfaced whenever I felt anger and un-forgiveness in my heart towards the perpetrators.

“Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”

They really didn’t. Something evil within them desired to hurt my son, but they had no real understanding of their actions and the ultimate consequences for themselves. My sons wounds will heal, but these people have a deep scar in their hearts that without coming to the cross of Christ, will never heal.

“Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”

Those are not easy words to say. They are only made possible for us by the fact that Jesus said them first; to a world scarred by sin; a world with no hope of healing without the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and His life giving resurrection. He said them first to me.

God moves ahead of us. He turns the page before we do. Only God could turn the Cross, something so ugly, into an instrument of peace and love. Only God can take my pain and through the finished work of The Cross, birth grace and healing into my life.

“Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”