Bitterness sneaked into my soul from every direction. You heard it, I felt it and God saw it. I know a thing or two about forgiveness, but there’s a betrayal so deep it’s nearly fatal. There are words in my files I can’t let you see, because you don’t need them. They’re drenched with anger and motivated by revenge. When I packed up my house, I said goodbye to my memories and my life; then I said goodbye to the porch, quit blogging and waited. Waited until I could write from a place of wholeness. Some things just take time. A whole lotta time. Now, I’m starting over; a new chapter. I’m living on the edge.
“I remember it all – oh, how well I remember – the feeling of hitting the bottom. But there’s one other thing I remember, and remembering, I keep a grip on hope:” Lamentations 3:21 MSG
New chapter of life
Sometimes you have to hang on tight, because it can go either way living on the edge. I suspect I’m not the only one wondering how I got to this place, but it’s long past time for me to move on or get left behind. Welcome friends, welcome to the new chapter I didn’t want to write.
“The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease.” Lamentations 3:22 NLT
Congratulations?
My address changed, my marital status changed, and with that my health care coverage ended, which is no small thing when your disability is expensive and your knight is MIA. While signing up for Cobra health insurance coverage, I didn’t tell my situation, but the clerk knew anyway. She grinned and said, “Congratulations!”
Congratulations? At first my eyebrows scrunched, then a smile crept over my lips and a gleam into my eyes. Yeah, congratulations. You get to start over; you get to live on the edge. It’s a good place to land.
Now I’m looking forward to a new phase in life and clinging to God’s promises. God blessed a man named Job after he lost it all, so a girl can hope, right?
“The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part.” Job 42:12 NIV
My Right Side Up Life
Maybe you don’t know the story behind the blog name, but soon after I got sick, my pastor sent me a note that read, “I know your life was turned upside down.” And I thought, you know, in many ways my life is turned right side up. My life is still right side up, but I can’t welcome you to the porch anymore. Everything changed. Now I’m living on the edge and this new chapter a delicate balancing act.
The edge of what?
Just before I reached the edge of victory, the enemy worked overtime to convince me to give up before it came. Looking over the edge of despair threatened to suck me into a lonely pit, so instead I forced my eyes up and saw how very blessed my life is.
The edge is place of decision; to move or not move, to move toward or away from, to be frozen in fear or brave enough to venture to glory.
Are you living on the edge of despair? #Hope Click To Tweet
“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2 KJV
Welcome to the edge
What are you balancing? Hope and hopelessness? Looking forward or looking back? The edge of regret or redemption? Press on, because there is hope on the other side.
“I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” Philippians 3:14 NLT
Let’s do this together! Join my right side up life on the edge, and bring a friend or two with you.
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I’m excited for you, Vickie, and excited to see what this next chapter holds for you as I am certain that God will continue to use your story to help others and for His glory, even if it’s not the way you originally intended to write it. Sitting on the porch makes me think of contentment and comfort which are good things. However, living on the edge makes me think of stepping out of my comfort zone and completely trusting God….this can be an even better thing. I’m looking forward to following your blogs again and can already see your passion for writing has returned. I look forward to 2019 to be a “living on the edge” year for me as well! I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
That is empowering!
I love your blog! I love that you are transparent and that the Word Of God shines through your life on the edge.
Thank you for always pointing me to the Word
Blessings to you on this new chapter of your life. God loves you and He is with you.
He is faithful. Thank you for your ongoing encouragement
I feel, personally, that as you stood on the edge there was quite a large crowd hovering around you! The picture you chose says SO much without a single word being said……great choice‼️
This phrase is one I have used for 70 plus years, “The only thing certain in life is ~ ~ Change.” It is going to be ‘changed’ a bit as a this year stands before me. A new year is much like a beautiful set of new sheets. It is perfectly folded (even the bottom sheet), smooth in the wrapper with all the wrinkles hidden from sight and unused. That pop you hear when the sheet is being added to you bed is like the fireworks we hear as we enter all New Years. Looking at your picture for quite a long time made me think that the pop I mentally heard is going to be the sound of a starting gun. God has so surely led me and our family through 50 plus years and many times the pop of the gun sounded and felt like a gun that inflected pain. But the change I intend to add to my simple life philosophy has been influenced by your insightful blog through these years on your porch. In 2019, the phrase will be permanently changed to, “The only thing certain in life is change,but I know the perfect guide stands at my side!” God is the all knowing guide and He will never leave me!”
Thank you for continuing to share your wonderful words after leaving your porch and allowing us to join you as we live our own lives on the edge! Prayers for you and your new year!
This is so beautiful. Thank you for your words. You know it never occurred to me that I had a crowd cheering me on until today. It makes such a difference
I’m so excited for your new beginning, and so proud of the choice you’ve made, while on the edge. Your words are so honest and real.. your writings, a lesson and comfort to us. God will continue to bless you…..and you all of us out here on our edges. Thank you for blogging again! You and yours are in my prayers.
Vickie, so glad to have you back, you have been missed. Your writing always touches my life and sometime, the chords in my heart, with such heart wrenching truth and humility. Keep moving forward with your eyes on Jesus. Tomorrow is a new day!