God Uses Our Pain to Bring Hope to Others
Understanding the Sacred Beauty of Change...
As the final pages of this year turn, we find ourselves standing in a holy in-between space—looking back at what was, and forward to what will be. The end of a year is never just about dates and calendars. It is about completion. It is about recognizing that God, in His wisdom, has brought a season to its appointed close.
The Bible reminds us that "He has made everything beautiful in its time" (Eccl 3:11). That includes beginnings—and endings. This moment invites us to pause, breathe, and acknowledge a powerful truth: God has completed something in us, around us, and through us.
SEASONS DO NOT END BY ACCIDENT
Every season we walked through this year was ordered by God. Some seasons stretched us. Some refined us. Some surprised us. Some humbled us. Yet none of them were random.
Like a farmer who understands that rain must eventually stop for harvest to come, God knows exactly when a season has fulfilled its purpose. If the rain never ended, the crop would rot. In the same way, if seasons never changed, growth would be impossible. The end of this year is not a sign of loss—it is evidence that God has accomplished what He set out to do.
WHEN COMPLETION FEELS UNCOMFORTABLE
Not every ending feels good. Some of us reach the end of this year with prayers still unanswered and questions still lingering. We may feel unfinished, unprepared, or unsure. But God’s completion is not guided by our feelings—it is guided by His purpose.
Just as an exam ends when the bell rings, not when every student feels ready, God ends seasons according to divine timing. The bell rings because the time has fulfilled its assignment. If the year ended while you still had questions, be encouraged: God knows what He is doing. What He intended to accomplish in this season, He has completed.
THE DOORS GOD CLOSED WERE MERCIES IN DISGUISE
One of the hardest truths to accept is that some things had to end. Some doors closed. Some plans dissolved. Some connections shifted. Some expectations were laid to rest. These closures were not punishments. They were protections.
Imagine attempting a long journey wearing shoes from ten years ago. No matter how much you loved them, they would wound your feet and slow your progress. The problem would not be the road—the problem would be what you carried from the past. In love, God removed what no longer fit where He is taking you.
ENDINGS ARE NOT GRAVES — THEY ARE A WOMB
In God's economy, nothing truly ends without giving birth to something new.
A seed must disappear into the soil before it multiplies. To the untrained eye, it looks like death. To the farmer, it is the beginning of abundance. What ended this year was not buried—it was planted. What you released is becoming seed. What you lost is becoming preparation. What went silent is becoming fertile ground. God is doing a new thing—even now.
HOW DO WE CLOSE A YEAR WELL?
Like a wise shopkeeper closing at night, we do three things...
We Give Thanks: We count the gains, visible and hidden. We thank God for protection, provision, lessons learned, and strength sustained.
We Release the Past: We lay down regrets, disappointments, bitterness, and fear. We refuse to drag yesterday into tomorrow.
We Step Forward in Faith: We open our hearts to the new season with expectation, not anxiety—trusting that the God who completed this year will faithfully lead us into the next.
TURNING THE PAGE TOGETHER
You cannot read the next chapter while refusing to turn the page. As individuals, families, and a church community, we turn the page together. We honor what God has completed, and we welcome what He is about to begin. The year has ended. The season has closed. But God is not finished.
May the coming season be crowned with His goodness. May your strength be renewed. May your faith rise. And may you walk boldly into the future, confident that He who began a good work in you is faithful to complete it.
"The end of a year is not the end of hope - it is the proof that God is faithful with time."
- Bishop Joseph Mutua Muindi
General Overseer, Cornerstone Christian Church Int'l
Nairobi, Kenya
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