It’s that time of year when we look back on the year we’ve had. I hope your’s was nice. Mine was.... well a lot of things, so keep reading if this interests you. Haha. Honestly, I’ve been thinking about how I might wrap up this year for months now. The year I’ve had can hardly be summarized. It was one I will surely never forget.
Frankly, I don’t like to think about how this year began. Just looking back to the first half of 2018 makes me grimace. After 2 long years of trial and disappointment, by January of 2018 my hope had been virtually crushed to nothing. I caught a sickness that lasted 40 days (including a nasty flu in the middle of it that made me miss Rocco’s All-Star game. *Tears*) I was on the couch for weeks; it was like my body felt the way my spirit did! A number of other heartbreaking things happened in the following months, starting 2018 as the lowest year of my life - by far. Many tears were shed as I saw God take away any sliver of earthly hope & security we had, one thing after another. It was BRUTAL! A real rock-bottom season in life. We had been in a faith valley for 2 years already, but it just kept getting worse, & we couldn’t understand why God needed us to face so many consecutive trials. It was truly mystifying. Nearly every night I would unintentionally wake Rocco up in the middle of the night with some anxious dream that would have me yelling, crying, frantically searching for something. Talk about a crazy time... We were truly at the end of ourselves. But in the eye of the storm, my husband & I fought side by side. The hard times pulled us closer together and we relied on God (and each other) in such desperate and important ways. There was no room for fighting of any kind - life was hard enough! We were a team, but at our core we still really did have faith in God. The walls of our life burned down, but the ashes remained. & I am still believing to this day that God is reshaping those ashes into something IN.CRED.I.BLE. The setbacks and disappointments have been so unwanted, I have literally begged God to change so many things in the past. But He chose the steep path for us, & though I may have fought our destiny one or two hundred times, I now receive it with a deeper gratitude that is far too intense to explain. I always say “you don’t know what you don’t know - until you know what you didn’t know.” God reveals things to us in one step at a time for a reason. But don’t think He’s a slow God... I said God reveals things to us one step at a time, not does things one step at a time. He could be setting a thousand treasures in your path right now & you’re just finding them one at a time. Simply put, you can trust His sovereignty. I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but it’s in the valleys that we seek Him to our fullest potential. And the lessons are much more profound in the dark. Trust me, I know from years of experience - It’s like I’ve earned an involuntary degree in “Walking By Faith” or “Overcoming Agressive Spirtual Battles.” Is there a university for that? Should be... LOL. Hear me loud and clear: The beauty in following Jesus is that there is purpose in the pain and beauty in the scars. Nothing is wasted. Isn’t that comforting to read? We never asked for any of our trials... I didn’t ask God to bring me to the absolute end of myself... my sanity... my hope... etc. But He made it happen. For profound, often mysterious reasons. Truthfully, it took me months to feel hopeful again - to dream again. Living in a makeshift apartment with no job/career opportunities had been so hard on me, but you better believe I worked every day to combat the sadness I was feeling in this valley. I sang every single day, always hit the gym, & started making myself leave the apartment more. ANYTHING to get me out of that little living room where I was sick on the couch for over a month! Oh, the tear stains that rental couch must have! (Yes, we can laugh at my past pain now! Haha.) I rode out the storm, understanding there was absolutely nothing I could do to stop the waves; no prayer that could save me. But God was IN the storm. And finally, around July, I sensed a new hope rising us from the ashes of our situation. As many of you know, (against all odds) for the majority of the past four months Rocco has been playing for a great new team in a wonderful city. The people are kind and the atmosphere is lively and fun. We are living day-to-day in a hotel, but looking back at how terrible 2018 began, I couldn’t be more thankful for where 2018 is ending. My 2018 began as a devastating, hopeless, miserable year... but is ending on a contrasting note: Healing. Hopeful. and Happy. Never give up on the path. You just never know what could be a mile away. With the greatest sincerity, I am praying for each of you to grow in profound ways in 2019! I pray that you become more like the people God has really made you to be, & I pray you will boldly trust Him in the paths you find yourselves on. Never give up on yourselves & never give up on the God who loves you and has total control over even the greatest of giants. With love, Abby Grimaldi #BornToShine Ministries
3 Comments
Susan
12/28/2018 03:13:39 pm
I have followed Rocco after seeing him play at the development camp/game this summer hoping he would make the Preds team. Love your blog! Like you I have had many trials but I have learned that they are easier if I put all my faith in God. Now I realize I am on a boat with God as my captain. Some days are smooth sailing and some are rough waters. I truly pray for both of you! Go Preds!!
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Susan
12/28/2018 05:26:55 pm
We have been following for a while. He is what peaked my interest in hockey. He is so inspiring. When we got to meet you at a Rampage game we were so excited. You are such a sweet couple. You talk about him with such kind words and he of you. I was excited to see him this season when he came to play with the Admirals. We had our banner up to show our support. The crowd cheered so loudly when he took to the ice. Now we catch a Predators game on TV when we can. I even got a Grimaldi Predator jersey for Christmas. We wish the both love and happiness in 2019!
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Steve
12/29/2018 09:19:03 am
This is such encouragement. Beautifully written. I rejoice at God's faithfulness with you, Abby, and Rocco through this. I rejoice at Rocco's and your faithfulness during all this.
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AuthorChristian Singer-Songwriter, Writer, Hockey Wife, & Fitness Fanatic. Nomad with North Dakota roots. Archives
January 2020
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