Casandra Martin

Today is a big day at our house. We are taking our oldest son to college. We will settle him into the dorm, make sure he has his meal ticket, buy his books at the bookstore, watching him set out on a new adventure and take his first steps into the “real world.”

Milestone days are important. They help us measure our journey and celebrate our growth. Reaching milestones give us an opportunity to look back and trace God’s hand on our path. We can smile at the way He brought us through, the things we learned about being His people, and the blessings He provided along the way.

Milestones are also moments in which we can be overwhelmed with thanksgiving as we look forward. Standing on the platform between the past and the future, we get to celebrate new beginnings, hard work, and the possibilities that lie before us. It is a time to look in the mirror and recommit to the purpose God longs to work out in our lives. At a milestone, we can praise Him for the wonder of His presence in our lives and thank Him for the ways in which He is going to reveal more of His heart to us in the future.

A milestone can be anything – a date on the calendar, the completion of a discipline, the celebration of a choice well-made, or the moment when transformation reaches in and opens a door that was previously closed. It is a time to share the joy of God’s work in our lives with others, to humbly acknowledge His hand on our lives, and to make a deeper resolution to look like Jesus.

My Jesus Resolution today is to mark the milestone. I am going to be deliberate about tracing God’s fingerprints on the fabric of my family. I want to point out the ways He has blessed us, provided for us, and made His presence known to us. I long to bless my children with a vision for how God wants to shape their lives, be involved in their days, and lead their steps. I am going to look in the mirror and know that this is a milestone for me as well. And an opportunity to commit myself once again to looking like Jesus.