by Victoria Heinecke
Reflecting on growth.
You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.
“The Lord answered, ‘You are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one.’“
Luke 10:41-42 New International Version
There’s a feature on Facebook called Memories, where you can see what you posted on a specific day last year, two years ago, or longer. Many are seasonal in nature, such as birthdays. Recently, the diversity of one day’s memories was interesting:
- 2020: Holy Cross’s online worship service was shared.
- 2019: Jon and I went to Las Vegas after a tour to Israel was cancelled at the last minute.
- 2018: We were getting ready to perform with the Chorale and the Philharmonic.
The memory pictured here was one that caught my attention. I was in line at a kitchen warehouse sale seven years ago and got in line early in the morning. Some of the items I purchased were impulsive, and most of which have since ended up at the thrift shop, discarded. They were poor choices in retrospect, but I didn’t remember those choices until I saw this photo.
Another memory from 2020 was a poem about the pandemic. While the past year has been challenging, there are some good things which came from the lockdown, many of which were the stuff of self-discovery. There were opportunities to learn new skills online, time to tackle tasks that had been postponed, and more time spent with family and close friends.
It was no longer about how many things we had, or how busy I was. I was learning to focus on doing a few things better than before.
“…but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.“
Romans 5:3b-4 New International Version
Reflection can give a person the chance to see how much growth has taken place, especially in their faith walk with the Lord. We don’t always see progress from day to day, but looking back over a year or more can reveal that real change, for the better, has taken place. With many of us in an “are we there yet” feeling of fatigue, wishing we could go back to an earlier time, seeing growth can give encouragement and comfort, as well as hope for the future.
Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Amen, my friend! I was given a journal after my mom passed away called One Line a Day, 5 years of memories. It has been intriguing to see the change in my mindset, especially during the pandemic. I can see the days where it was too much and the days where I remembered to give it to the Lord.