Mosaic

I have a “landmark” birthday this year. I’m not quite sure how to feel about it. I am thankful to God for the years He’s already given me. But what should I be doing with the ones still to come?

I always tell my husband I’m going to live to be one hundred. So, what will I do with those years? I have some ideas.

Travel—I love to travel! I would do it all the time if I could.

New challenges and experiences—I’m excited to have the time to try new things and explore new passions.

Ministry—This has been a constant in my life in one way or another. It remains central to everything.

Family—My love language is quality time, and my greatest joy is being surrounded by those I love and who love me.

Recently, I’ve come across numerous articles about purpose and meaning. The things that hold the most meaning in my life are the constants: my relationship with God, my husband and family, dear friends, and the stories and memories we share. These are the treasures we can revisit together—to laugh, to cry, to remember.

Every experience I’ve had, and every year I’ve lived, has brought me to this point. Many details have faded into the background mosaic of my life, and sometimes I struggle to remember how I felt or thought in earlier years.

Over the years, I’ve come to realize how unimportant many of the things I used to worry about truly are—appearances, wealth, seeking approval, fitting in, and saying just the right thing. Even “keeping up with the Joneses,” which was never a major struggle for me, has grown even less important. I’ve come to understand that each person is created in the image of God and is precious—regardless of status, beauty, or lack thereof. Beauty really is in the eye of the beholder, and as I age, I see more clearly how little the external trappings matter.

Our choices, our wisdom, our example, and character—these are what influence the next generations. For better or worse, we often won’t see the full impact of our lives until it’s long after we’re gone. Still, I want to choose—today and always—to make it a good one.

That desire is part of what encouraged me to write. Writing is something I’ve always loved, but I never made time for it. And yes, I’ve battled self-doubt. Does anyone really want or need to hear what I have to say?

Ecclesiastes 1:9 (NKJV) says:

“That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.”

I know that I don’t have anything “new” to say, but I hope those who love me can read what I write and hear my voice long after I’m gone. Maybe even now, someone might be encouraged in the Lord by a scripture I share or a trial I’ve walked through that resonates with them.

A mosaic is made up of hundreds of small tiles—each one seemingly inconsequential on its own. But in the hands of a skilled artist, they come together to create something beautiful and enduring. What masterpiece are you allowing God to create in your life?

When we stand too close to the individual pieces of our lives, it can feel complicated and messy. But God—only God—can take those pieces and shape something greater than we can imagine. When we step back, the real picture comes into focus.

Job 19:23-27 (NKJV):

“Oh, that my words were written!
Oh, that they were inscribed in a book!
That they were engraved on a rock
With an iron pen and lead, forever! 

For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth;
And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my flesh I shall see God,
Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!”