After church on Sunday, the day before my melanoma surgery, our family walked to the ravine on our property. There we welcomed our new year. With a black Sharpie pen in my pocket, I hunted for the perfect rock. The boys searched for their rocks, too. Cami joined us down at the water to find her own rock while Scott and Drew stood up on the cliff, husband shepherds watching their sheep. We all wanted out with the old and in with the new. So we took our rocks and wrote our battles on them. Cruz didn’t do any writing, but threw a lot of rocks into the creek. If I’d been thinking, I would have covered his rocks with words like, “temper tantrums” and “no more eating dog food,” but my own rock weighed a hundred pounds in my hand. Cancer is a heavy thing. 

                                                                                     

How good it felt to throw our rocks into the water. To hurl these prayers howling out of our hearts like hungry wolves: Take this from me, LORD. You made the heavens and the earth. You can make all things new for us in this new year.

Jesus really can make all things new. Pick up your rock. Write down your sins and struggles. Your sicknesses and strife. Say a simple, heartfelt prayer asking the Lord to take this rock from you. Most of us have a bag of rocks we’re carrying. I pray this is the year we all throw our rocks into the Lord’s mighty river of mercy and grace.