It’s the first day of spring, I suppose, though I’m sitting under a plaid blanket on my couch and my phone tells me it “feels like 42” degrees outside while the sun bathes my backyard with golden trickery. That’s way too cold for a Carolina spring, especially when it’s middle school baseball season.

I snapped this selfie on a much warmer day last week, when an actual 70-degree walk was too glorious to pass up. The trees are budding red, green, white, and pink as sunshine-colored daffodils and lipstick-red tulips pop up out of hibernation in time for Easter.

2024 started hard, so as the season changes, I’m just now processing what this year may hold.

Days ago, I came across a journal entry wrapping up 2023, and to answer “How did I experience God’s love?” I wrote:

“Not needing ER visits for digestive issues”

Flip the calendar to 2024, and before January’s end I had an ER visit for digestive issues, followed by a procedure for artery issues caused by that very hospital visit.

I didn’t experience God’s love any less, however; in fact, His love calmed, led, protected, and provided when I was fearful and weary. So when I think about 2024, this phrase jumped out at me during Bible study with our college students at church:

Press On

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14

In the preceding verses, Paul tells us that he counts everything as loss except for Christ. The knowledge of Christ, his sufferings, and the power of his resurrection — we press on through our own suffering for His glory.

We forget what is behind and strain towards what’s ahead (Philippians 3:13-14). Why? So we can "hold true to what we have attained." (Philippians 3:16)

We have to keep reminding ourselves what we learned in the valleys. Our circumstances are true, but our God is truer.

So I press on to let the truth of God’s goodness reign in my mortal, fragile body. We are instruments of His righteousness (Romans 6:13) to a watching world. My pressing on is not in vain, and neither is yours. Keep going, friends, and trust what's coming.