Our lives are filled with milestones

"Up to this point the Lord has helped me."

- 1 Samuel 7:12 (NIV)

I picked up the next year's pocket calendar and whispered, "What activities will fill these pages this upcoming year?" I smiled at the thought of any unknown God surprises along the way.

This time of the year, I like to ponder the events that filled my calendar pages. I refer to them as my milestones. These are major events that mark our lives. Some are ordinary occasions such as births, birthdays, weddings and holidays. Others are personal occasions or healings received. Sadly some include losses. Yet, some reveal God's plan or timing for our lives.

In ancient Biblical days, the Israelites symbolized special moments when they set up markers, using stones, to remember where their achievements and victories occurred. For instance, the prophet Samuel set up a large stone to mark the place where God helped give his people a victory over their enemies. I wonder if they used the term "milestone" too. In this day and age, we won't be setting up literal stones, but a simple way of recording them is to mark them on the calendar.

Looking back at my 2021 calendar, it revealed milestones of losses and miracles. The first one I recorded was for Valentine's Day weekend, when I had an unexpected blessing of being united with a cousin I didn't know existed.

Then the next milestone I recorded was a sad one, when my brother and brother-in-law passed away within two days of one another.

Another popped up when later in the year: I heard from a special friend from my past. Years ago we were so close I was her maid of honor. But life took us in different directions, as it does many of us. Until recently when a mutual friend went for a checkup and was amazed to discover the nurse practitioner caring for her was that old friend. Through this milestone encounter we were all reunited.

As I jotted these down, I realized there were still more. Including a dear friend's 80th birthday, and the pleasure of helping a 78-year-old local entrepreneur's special journey and mission for Christ by writing it on the tolmission.com website.

And the most enduring, was when my 26-year-old granddaughter flashed her engagement ring in our family's beaming faces on Christmas Eve, marking the milestone of one more member to our family.

As we move forward, we can be fully assured that the God who has been faithful to give us milestones in the past will continue. It is my prayer that God leave spatterings of miracles among your milestones this New Year.

• Annettee Budzban is a Christian author, speaker, life coach and nurse. She can be contacted at annetteebudzban@aol.com or (847) 543-8413.