The Last Day of 2019 - Looking Back to Move Forward

It's Tuesday, December 31, 2019. It's the last day of 2019. In just a couple of hours we will begin writing 2020 on our checks and documents. 2020. Can you believe it? It sounds a bit crazy, 2020. But before we get into the new year, I wanted to to pause and take a look at 2019.

2019 has been a year of transition for Life in the Higham House. We started the new year (2019) with gusto. We were excited and looking forward to the coming year. We had the chance to do some vlogging through the fall and into the Christmas season. We made a trip to Philly and Baltimore to visit family, vlogging all the adventure, including New Years Eve at my parents. It was great!

2019 time began with a trip across PA, as we headed back to Western, PA. We talked about the year to come. We dreamed and planned. We wanted to see Life in the Higham House grow with more vlogging and blogging. I wanted to spend more time working on my side gigs, The Youth Worker Daily and the Controlled Chaos Blog. I was excited about ministry and working with fellow youth workers. I was looking forward getting back into the office, back to my students and my leaders. I remember feeling energized and hopeful.

We stopped for dinner in Somerset, at a restaurant that we seldom ever visited when we lived there. As we were being seated, we saw some friends, a pastor and his wife having dinner with another couple. They saw us, we saw them, and we greeted each other with hand shakes and hugs. Then the pastor said to me (Jay), 'Hey, give me a call in a couple of days. I've been thinking about you and want to talk.' We wondered what it might be about.​​
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Now, here's what only a some few knew. Earlier in 2018, we had become talking with a church about a new position. They were moving slow, but we had just met with the search committee and it looked like something was going to happen. Now, it's was January 1st, and another pastor says, hey, I want to talk to you.

Well, I made the call and as you might guess, he wanted to talk to me about a possible position at his church. It was now February, I was in discussions with two churches and I was about to be introduced to a third. I was scheduled to speak at a Winter Retreat. At the retreat I met a pastor looking to hire a new staff member. To make what's becoming a long story, a bit shorter, by June 1st. we were starting a new adventure. The months that followed were filled with ups and downs, as we fully stepped into a season of transition for the entire family.

Now, why do I share all of this? Because 365 days ago, as we were driving back to Western PA, dreaming of the new year, never did we imagine that today, Tuesday, December 31st, we would be in a new home, in a new city, in a new state, serving in a new role at a new church. 

This past Sunday, Pastor Tim preached about God's faithfulness, reminding us that it's good for us to look back as we move forward. We see God's faithfulness as He used Moses to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt to the promised land. When the time came, He used Joshua to continue the Hebrews journey to the promise land with the promise, "As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Joshua 1:5b NIV) God follows that promise with this statement, "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them." (Joshua 1:6 NIV)

I will be with you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.

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I will be with you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.

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Sounds to me like a great statement to march into 2020 with. 

In fact, that's exactly what we're going to do. You see, God has proven himself to be faithful, time and time again. Not just with Moses and Joshua, but with David, Solomon, the prophets, Peter, John, Paul, Timothy, and everyone other person who placed their faith in Jesus. Amy and I have been married for 23 years. We have 5 amazing kids. We have moved ten times. We have served in 5 churches and 2 camps. We have made life-long friends, shared milestone moments and made memories that will last a life-time. We have had our highs (which have been great highs) and we have had our lows (devastating lows). We have laughed. We have cried. We have argued. We have cheered. We have prayed. And we have seen God's faithfulness over and over again.

Now as we get ready to step into 2020, we find ourselves with a number of questions. What does 2020 hold for us? There is plenty that is without answers, and there is plenty that we are concerned about. We excited, but we're scared. We can't wait to get 2020 started, but we're anxious about the unknowns. 365 days ago, driving home from Philly, dreaming about 2019. Now we're hours away from 2020....

Before you take that step, take a minute...
How have you seen God's faithfulness in 2019? What great adventure did he take you on? What were the highs and lows, and how did he show up? Before we step forward, look back and remember. God said to Joshua, "I will be with you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them."

Happy New Year!

​- the higham family

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