The Year of Hidden Blessings - Crosswalk the Devotional - December 28

Truths observed at the intersection of faith and life by Crosswalk.com editors [Crosswalk.com Logo]( Crosswalk: The Devotional [Devotionals]( [Newsletters]( [e-Cards]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( The Year of Hidden Blessings by Katherine Britton "For he wounds, but he also binds up; he injures, but his hands also heal." - [Job 5:18]( Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. - [James 1:17]( I'm evaluating all that happened last year. I always appreciate the post-holiday lull that allows for more quiet reflection, even if I don't go crazy on the New Year's resolutions. I need that time to stop going, going, going, and just take a look at what God has done. In summing up this year, I'm calling it the year of hidden blessings. I nearly burned my house down in February, ended up the smushed middle car in a five-car highway accident in May, nervously watch the school system where my husband works make staff cuts, and more. I feel lucky to have survived the year, and I don't mean that as an exaggeration. Mentally, I know that I'm dependent on God's sustaining grace every year. This year, though, I practically had my nose rubbed in the fact. All the close calls made me face "what could have happened" and respond with thankfulness that it didn't. But the crazy thing is, the Lord didn't just deliver me through all these instances unscathed. He used my own stupidity to bring about good things. In other words, I experienced a whole lot of divine grace this year. In what has become known as "The Fire" (that's capitalized), half our cabinets burned, our refrigerator and stove were effectively destroyed, and various portions of drywall got pulled down by a fire department focused on safety precautions. But in the aftermath of The Fire, we found out insurance would pay for much of the remodel. So we went to work installing a much more functional - and beautiful - kitchen. For me, this was an object lesson in how God rescues his people. I'm a results-oriented person, so I often struggle with being "good enough" for God, with "earning" favor by being a good little Christian. But Christ provides us with the gift of life despite our best efforts to fumble it. As I looked around my soot-stained kitchen, knowing that my actions had caused the destruction and that someone else would finance the essential repairs… believe me, that's humbling. [CONTINUE READING →]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( You May Also Like: [10 Ways Wives Disrespect Their Husbands (without Even Realizing It)]( Lindsey Maestas I have mentioned before that just as a woman desires to feel loved, men equally desire to feel respected. [CONTINUE READING →]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( [What Does the Bible Say about Cremation?]( Dr. Roger Barrier Dear Roger, My husband and I would like to be cremated after our deaths. Is there scripture regarding our decision? [CONTINUE READING →]( [Crosswalk.com Logo]( [Read about Salem Web Network]( | [Unsubscribe From This Email]( [Email Preference Center]( | [View in Browser]( © 2020 Salem Web Network. All rights reserved. 111 Virginia Street, Suite 500, Richmond, VA 23219. This email is never sent unsolicited. You are receiving this email because your email address, {EMAIL}, is signed up to receive newsletters, updates, and special offers from Crosswalk.com - The Devotional. [Link](