Hi Friends,

We had a huge blizzard this past weekend that dumped over a foot of snow in 24 hours. We woke up to a blanket of white.

My kids are thrilled to have more snow shoveling gigs than they can handle. They shovel, stop by the house for snacks, throw their soggy gloves back on and head out to sled. After sledding? Shoveling… and repeat.

Heavy snows seem to come at the beginning of January each year in the Midwest, and it always feels like they give the perfect visual for a new year.

A field of snow without even a single footprint. A blank slate. A fresh start.

But this year, I’m pondering what’s under that snowfall.

Underneath the snow blanketing my backyard are the Nerf bullets we failed to pick up, the poison ivy in one garden bed I can’t seem to get rid of, another garden bed in which I never cleaned up the debris of dead, brown tomato plant branches.

Under the blank slate of our new year, there lies all kinds of things, too. The good choices — like seeds we planted — from last year that will come up and bear fruit. The felt absence of seeds we wish we’d planted and didn’t.

There’s also the debris…

Less innocuous than forgotten nerf bullets, the actions of others can leave mementos of pain strewn about in our hearts, just under the surface.

But if there’s anything I learned of the Lord in 2024, it’s that He’s a perfect Shepherd who leads with gentleness, wisdom, and patience.

Not in a hurry, not unaware, He knows just the things to uncover at just the right time.

Our part? To say yes. To not look away. To stand so confident in His love for us that we can risk facing our brokenness as we wait for His healing.

If you’re stepping into the blank slate of this New Year aware of things waiting beneath the surface, join me in this prayer:

Jesus, have your way. All that lies underneath the surface of my heart is Yours. Come heal, and bring forth life in every way.

– Anna

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