The Locust Years

As promised, I have finally settled on a theme for this, my newest blog. You're probably wondering what "The Locust Years" is all about. If you have followed my two previous blogs, www.97yearsofblessings.blogspot.com, and www.therightthingexperiment.blogspot.com, you know that I grew up as a foster child, and have had many joys and struggles.

My first blog was created for my ninety-seven year old foster mother, a minister's widow, to share thoughts and verses with others. My second blog, true to it's name, was a personal experiment after my foster mother passed away, in which I wanted to share my journey with my readers as I sought to "do the right thing" in a practical day-to-day setting.

I am very excited about this newest writing venture as I seek to share memories and lessons learned from my earliest years as a little girl in a small group home to now, even as I have daily blessings of watching my own little grandson toddle at my feet. Many of the inbetween years have been times of heartache and failure, and I also want to share these difficult lessons because God's tender love and immense grace are so evident as I look back. I call these empty times, "The Locust Years", referring to the Old Testament book of Joel, in the Bible.

In this short book, the story is told of a time when the Israelites wandered away from the Lord, and God allowed an invasion of locusts to make the land desolate so the children of Israel would wake up and turn back to Him. The Lord tells his children, "Even now, return to me with all your heart, for the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love." (Joel 2:12, 13) As the nation turns back to the Lord, He makes a promise, "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten" (vs.25)

How well I know the Locust Years, and I realize that there are countless others who have also experienced those dry, barren times throughout their lives. I'm honored to have you join me as we each walk our own unique, peaceful path etched out for us by our Creator, gleaning comfort and nuggets of treasure placed by Him along the way! My passion and desire is to share, in my personal testimony, that it's never "too late", we're never "too old", and there's nothing we've done that's "too bad" to prevent us from returning to God and receiving His acceptance and healing. His mercies are new every morning!

"Dear Father in Heaven,
Thank you for drawing me to you with lovingkindness, and for your promises to repay us for the years the locusts have eaten! May I seek only to bring you glory. In Jesus' name, Amen"