I love to read! In a matter of seconds, we can visit faraway places, be transformed into the heroine of an adventure and forget all the cares that come with this life.

Reading is a getaway, and everybody knows that we need a getaway, right?!! Well … almost everybody. Sometimes our kids might have trouble grasping the concept.

When my kids were little, I used to love to disappear, and, with a sneaky smile on my face, lock the bathroom door. I would run a hot bath, submerge my body into the tub and my mind into a book until the water got cold or a family crisis beckoned, whichever came first. In the books that I read, there were no piles of laundry, dishwashers to be emptied or bills to be paid. They were purely fiction, of course.

Our life is like a book, even wilder than fiction, with slow starts, twisting turns, riveting climaxes, intriguing plots and surprise endings. Parts of our book are so incredible we do not want them to end. Other parts are so difficult we cannot turn the pages fast enough. Some so amazing, we do not want to forget them. Others so terrible, we do not want to remember them.

Life can be described at times as a horrible kind of wonderful …. like with childbirth. At other times, it can be described as a wonderful kind of horrible … like experiencing a parent’s transition from his or her earthly home to Heaven. Laughter is sprinkled with our tears as we read our life’s story.

Some life books have many pages, many chapters. Others are short stories that end all too quickly. There is a popular quote that says, “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.”

Life is a love story, a comedy and a tragedy all rolled into one. More than anything else it is a mystery.

The chapters unfold in expected order through the “hoods”—childhood, ‘teen’ hood, young adulthood, parenthood, middle adulthood, late adulthood, and grandparenthood.

But often things happen that we don’t expect and we find ourselves starting a new chapter while scratching our heads wondering when the last page of our last chapter got turned.

Unexpected news of another child on the way … news from a doctor … getting hired for a new job … a layoff from a job … a divorce … or, the unthinkable, the death of a spouse or a child or a parent … any of these plot twists can leave us in a state of bewilderment, frantically reviewing the pages, searching for answers and trying hard to grasp what just happened.

We each have ups and downs in our story. Some of the life-changing downs are more horrific and devastating than words can describe. And through many trials, we wonder what is coming in the pages ahead.

While it is okay for us to wonder what is next in God’s will for us, we should not worry. Romans 8:28 promises that “All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.”

God has provided us the greatest book ever written to give us insight into His plans for us. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11) The Lord  knows how our story turns out. For those of us who accept Jesus as our personal Savior, He blesses our story with an eternity in Heaven with Him.

As we look ahead to a new year, Hebrews 12:2 reminds us to be “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…” To start the year off right, let’s make “God” the first word. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day. (Edith Lovejoy Pierce)

Dear Lord: Thank You that You saw us before we were ever born and that every moment of our lives was laid out before we spent a single day. How precious are Your thoughts of us and Your plans for us.  We are so glad that You are in charge. Help us to have faith inYou, Lord, no matter what comes. May we not squander a single day, but do our best to embrace this life and live each page trusting You. Amen

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Prov. 3:5-6

“May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.”  Ps. 20:4

What will you write in your 2017 book? Is God calling you to a new adventure? What chapter are you on? What wisdom can you offer us from the lessons you have learned from your book? Please share your comments, thoughts and experiences by replying below.

May God bless you and your family richly in the new year.