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Merry Christmas! It doesn’t feel that long since we wrote a letter for last Christmas, but at the same time, God has done so many things since then that it seems impossible for it to have been only a year! Regardless of how it’s felt, the past year has been full of God’s goodness, and our family echoes the words of the psalmist in Psalm 123:6:

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“The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.”

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In 2024, God was teaching our family the need to focus on eternal things. God has placed us on this earth for a reason, but ultimately, this life is very short in comparison to eternity. Within the past month, God reminded us again that our family is not here to help other people have a good earthly life (although that is one way we can show love!). He wants us to help others have a good eternity by pointing them to a relationship with Jesus Christ!

This year, God has been teaching our family about the beauty of His Word. God has allowed us to see the beauty, wisdom, comfort, and power of the Bible. While we have known for a long time that the Bible is important, it has become a very precious thing to our family this year.

Dad Hadley has been preaching through the Psalms of Ascent (120-134). He challenged the congregation to choose one of these short psalms and memorize it. Our family chose Psalm 127. Verse 3 says,

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“Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.”

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This verse reminds us of January 31 of this year, when we discovered that Elysia was pregnant with our second baby! Children only come from God, and we were overjoyed to find that He had allowed us to have another one!

In February, we had the joy of witnessing a birth, although not the birth of our second child! A young man had been attending our church since the previous summer’s Vacation Bible School, and we had been praying that God would save him. One night at a local basketball game, our loving Lord used a pastor to witness to the young man. Praise God, he repented of his sins and placed his faith in Jesus Christ! This has brought us much joy, and God has opened many doors for us to play a part in discipling this young Christian!

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“I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.” Luke 15:7

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God provided many practical blessings for our family this year, as well. One of these blessings was a car we have named Theodore. The name Theodore means “gift of God,” and the car has certainly been a gift that has met our needs for many miles! Through the provision of Theodore, God reminded us that while He meets our needs, He loves to do much more than that. In Ephesians 3:20-21, Paul writes,

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“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”

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Our prayer request had been that God would meet our transportation needs. God did this, but He also went “exceeding abundantly above” what we asked for. Theodore was a slightly older vehicle, but it came with several extras. A sunroof, heated mirrors, power windows, and a key fob were all things that we had not had in our previous vehicle. While we did not look for or even consider these things, and they are things that make no difference for eternity, God chose to provide these extra blessings. Do not ever forget that God is a giving and gracious God!

On September 16, in the early afternoon, Elysia was fairly certain that she was beginning to have real contractions. Our gracious sister came over for an hour to spend some time with us (the right company can be a great distraction for early labor pains!). Shortly after she went home, we became confident that the labor was progressing, so we asked her to come back to take Dallas for a while. Forty minutes later, at 5:10 p.m., God put Grant Jackson into our arms! Momma and Grant were both healthy and doing well, and Dallas was able to return to sleep in his own bed that evening (this can be important for a one-year-old!). Grant’s life verse is Psalm 115:1,

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“Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake.”

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All glory belongs to God for the quick and safe delivery of Grant, and we are grateful for His provision and compassion!

While it might sound backward to you, another highlight day of this past year began with an ambulance ride to the Emergency Room. Elysia had been having episodes of stomach pain for a couple of weeks, and we had an appointment scheduled to get an ultrasound done on her gallbladder. On this particular morning, the pain changed and became extreme. She could not keep still, and we knew something was very wrong. Within half an hour, the ambulance had arrived, and we were on our way to the emergency room—she in the ambulance and I in the car.

As I drove, I struggled with the fear of the unknown. I began singing "Jesus, I am Resting, Resting."

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Jesus, I am resting, resting
in the joy of what Thou art;
I am finding out the greatness
of Thy loving heart.
Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee,
as Thy beauty fills my soul,
for by Thy transforming power,
Thou hast made me whole.

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This was more than just a nice song; I was choosing to rest in Christ. I claimed the words of the song as my own prayer to Him. The temptation to fear did not go away, but the peace of Christ began to fill me.

The next hour was a blur as Elysia was put into an ER bed, but the pain began to subside for a little bit. We had a break together between doctors and nurses coming in. There, in the uncomfortable, tiled Emergency Room, Elysia and I had one of the sweetest times with God we have ever had. We chose to put everything in His hands, and He gave us the last part of Psalm 73 to comfort and lead us.

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"23 Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand. 24 Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. 25 Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. 26 My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. 27 For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee. 28 But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works."

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We knew that our God was great, and nothing could stop or ruin that. God's invitation to rest on Him remained with us, and we frequently meditated on His Word. Much time was spent in prayer, committing our plans to Him and asking Him for direction and clarity. We had many questions, but we waited on God, and he provided. There was a surgeon at the hospital who was great at gallbladder surgeries. By five o’clock, Elysia was released from the hospital (minus her gallbladder), and we were headed home. God had taken care of childcare, food, and the finances for everything. Some could call it "a textbook case." We choose to say that it was a God-orchestrated operation.

Throughout this year, God has guided, comforted, strengthened, and enabled us through His Word. Psalm 19 and Psalm 119 were two other passages that awakened us to the beauty of Scripture. These verses from Psalm 19 are some of our favorites:

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“7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.”

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If you have not already experienced the sweetness of God’s Word, Elysia and I invite you to join us in discovering the joy of the Bible. Take Psalm 119 (yes, the long one) and set everything else aside. Get alone with God and these words of His. Ask Him to show you who He is and begin reading. We firmly believe that if you do this with a sincere heart, God will use this chapter to challenge you and bless you.

Whether we get to see you during this Christmas season or not, know, dear one, that we love you and pray for you specifically. Also know that God loves you. His Word is the best physical possession we have, and His Son Jesus Christ is the best gift we have ever been offered.

 

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With Christ’s love and for His great glory,

 

The Hadley Family

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