By Linda Cravens, Tulsa, Ok

Most people get introspective around the beginning of the year. They make resolutions that they keep for a few days until they decide they really didn't need to change all that much. Some do keep their resolutions, and I rejoice for them.

For myself, I find that making resolutions doesn't work too well. I find that I do much better if I look to scripture and see what God has for me for the year. I also find as I've grown older that it helps to review that scripture over and over because, as one minister has said, "We leak."

Since my birthday is in July, I find that summer is a time that I get even more introspective than I do at the first of the year. This year that was especially true because I turned 50.

Arise, shine; for thy light is come,
and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.
For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,
and gross darkness the people:
but the Lord shall arise upon thee,
and His glory shall be seen upon thee.
And the Gentiles shall come to thy light,
and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
Isaiah 60:1-3

This passage is my scripture for this year. However this year has not been all that glorious for me. It seems that everything I have tried to accomplish has been a major frustration, especially in my writing. I had big plans for what I was going to do with my writing this year. I have only accomplished one of the major things that I had on my agenda. I felt that I was wandering in that gross darkness. All I could see was that time was passing and I wasn't accomplishing what God wanted me to do.

As I fretted about getting older and seeming to accomplish less, God gave me Haggai 2:9. "The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of host: and in this place will I give peace." Suddenly I realized that I had been struggling to bring about a glory that God held the timetable on. I no longer needed to struggle or worry. I just needed to trust Him to bring about what needed to be accomplished. The fear of growing too old to accomplish what God wants for my life disappeared. God showed me people in the Bible who accomplished their great deeds in their latter years. Stories show up on the Internet of people in their eighties accomplishing something they have wanted to do their whole lives.

Looking around at the world, I see the gross darkness still there. But the glory of the Lord is shining in my little corner. I now expect that glory to grow stronger and chase away the darkness that tries to come in.