New chapters can be very daunting, for it means leaving the conformability of what is known and stepping into the great and beautiful unknown. Sometimes, I feel like I'm not at all capable of handling what each new chapter brings, but that is precisely why life stretches you. If everything was easy, we would always remain the same.
It's just like what C. S. Lewis writes in The Last Battle, "Further up and further in!" It seems at times that embracing a new chapter means letting go of the old one; a sort of exchange or starting over from scratch. But whenever a new chapter awakens in your life, it's not only meant to stretch you, but to expand your mind, capabilities, and possibilities. It's meant to enlarge your life, your dreams, and your vision for what could be.
Again, I return to the magical words of C. S. Lewis in The Last Battle,
"I see," said Lucy. "This is still Narnia, and more real and more beautiful than the Narnia down below, just as it was more real and more beautiful than the Narnia outside the Stable door! I see... world within world, Narnia within Narnia..."
"Yes," said Mr Tumnus, "like an onion: except that as you go in and in, each circle is larger than the last."
With each new chapter of our lives comes an enlargement of our world, our responsibilities, and our ability to walk into what we were created for. There truly is no end to God's goodness and His plans for our lives. The moment we feel we've reached the edge of ourselves, He peels back yet another layer, revealing the vast expanse of His largeness and vision for us. As we awaken to new chapters and new responsibilities, I can hear His gentle yet strong voice inviting us, "Come further up! Come further in!"
Jessica Ketchum! I imagined I was reading your first book, all nestled up in a big comfy chair, with a blanket draped over me; next to the fireplace we don't yet have sipping on hot tea (or a decaf pumpkin spice latte). #anticipating
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