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A Decade of Reflections…

By February 18, 2021December 7th, 2022Devotional

Tomorrow, February 19th, I will celebrate my 68th birthday. When I was younger I never really thought about a particular year and what that may look like as I age. But here we are… Tomorrow also marks another celebration – it is the 10th anniversary of the start of this blog, Transitions by The Book!

Back in the beginning, I really didn’t know when I would start my posts and then, on my birthday in 2011, I ran across a Bible – well, I guess technically, a New Testament with the Psalms, that my grandmother gave me on my 10th birthday in 1963. Grandma was always aware of important dates and she wrote a Bible verse for me in the front of the small book. It had been years since I had really taken time to look at it and there it was staring me in the face. Something inside me clicked and I knew that it was the right time to start writing.

However, I never really thought about what would happen down the road. I had no idea how long I would write – or what I would write about. In fact, that is still the case today. I have come to trust the Holy Spirit. Whenever I sit down to write a post, I just wait until I have some idea what I am to write about. Rarely do I know what verse to use or even where the story will end up. That’s the beauty of it.

I am the conduit, writing down what I feel led to write about – not trying to determine the outcome. Sometimes, I end up in a far different place than I thought I would be. And sometimes I know days in advance what topic I will write about – other times it is a last minute thing. In ten years, I have never failed to have some idea pop into my head that I think would be of interest to our readers.

As I reflect on the past ten years, Janet and I have had a pretty full life. The kids have all become more proficient in their respective careers and our grandchildren have grown – in another 10 years, they will all be adults. Janet and I have moved to a different home, we drive different cars, the nature of my corporate work has changed, we now attend a different church and I continue to teach Bible, one of my greatest loves. I am almost retired now and I lead a very rich life with Janet, the love of my life, at my side more than ever. This summer we will celebrate 48 years of marriage and we couldn’t be happier.

Other things have changed as well. This is post number 1631 – I would never have imagined that I would still be writing at this stage of the game. And while I have have given a few thoughts here and there about when this will come to a close, it isn’t time for me to stop…

Another thing – last year, almost a year ago, my youngest brother, Ken, passed away. That was quite a shock and I still think about him almost every day. I didn’t have any idea that I would be experiencing that event in my life. While there have been other family events as well, probably none has surprised me as much as Ken’s death.

The biggest thing I think about now is what my next assignment from God will be. I believe that I am in a time of patient expectation. I don’t sense that it is in the corporate arena and that I will probably dive deeper into the ministry world. Is there a book in my future? I’m sure that I will continue to mentor several people but I don’t have any idea what the next season will really look like. As I have said before – I am on a “need to know” basis with God and apparently, I just don’t need to know, at least yet…

One thing I know for sure. God doesn’t waste anything and so I have been preparing for my next assignment all of my life. The verse that Grandma wrote in her gift to me is even more true now than it was when I turned 10. And that, as it is each anniversary of TBTB, is our verse for tonight.

The apostle Paul, in his letter to the church at Ephesus, tells them, and us, in Hebrews 13:20-21, “May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

My encouragement tonight is that God has begun a great work in each of His children. Each of our assignments is different but we all have a goal to accomplish that we have been equipped for. My prayer is that we will all remember this promise from God and that we will live out our calling all the days of our lives. Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace… and Grandma, thanks again for the Bible. I never appreciated at the age of 10 how much I would cherish that verse throughout the years of my life.

2 Comments

  • Allen Sered says:

    Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary.
    Keep waiting to find out what you are supposed to be doing.
    So far so good.

  • David G. Toussaint says:

    Scott
    Great blog and I love that verse, in Hebrews. I have not read it recently, so thanks for bringing it to my attention. Determining what GOD wants us to do it a big thing, and sometimes difficult to discern. But if we are serious, and focus in on it, including it in our earnest prayers, HE will reveal it to us at His time.
    Thanks much
    Dave

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