Delighted

It’s that time again, the end of another year here on this crazy beautiful planet. I like to take this time to reflect on my year.

In my Wednesday night class, we were given a list of questions to ask ourselves about the year. I thought it would be beneficial to answer them on here.

1. What trials and difficulties has God brought me through this year that He may want to use me to encourage someone else who will go through similar circumstances?

There are two trials that were incredibly challenging for me. The first is healing from a heartbreak and the second is trusting Him in the waiting.

2. What’s the most important thing you will ask God to do this year?

The most important thing that I am asking God for this year is that our church begins to really impact the community in a positive way through outreach and missions. In addition, I’m asking that God will bring more people into our church.

3. In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress in and what will you do about it?

I really want to improve my prayer life. Sometimes there are things that I want to consistently pray about and I have so many other thoughts in my mind that I forget. So this year, I’m going to actively try prayer journaling again. I started doing it last year around this time but I left for the summer and honestly didn’t have time to write hardly.

4. What is the single biggest time-waster in your life and will you do anything about it this year?

Honestly, social media. I’ve given it up before– I gave it up for Lent last year and then I gave it up for the whole summer. This year, I’m going to look for ways to give it up that don’t involve uninstalling the apps. I’m the social media coordinator for my church so I need to be plugged in but not in my personal accounts as much.

5. What is the most helpful new way you could strengthen your church?

There are several ideas in the works for strengthening my church. I have fundraiser ideas, community outreach ideas, missions ideas, technical updating and praise team ideas. I’m writing them down and addressing them soon.

6. For whose salvation will you pray for most fervently this year?

Friends, mostly. That I know don’t have a relationship with Jesus.

7. What one thing could you do to improve your prayer life this year?

I answered this one earlier, sorta. But I’m going to do a prayer journal.

8. What’s the most important decision that you need to make this year and will you ask for God’s will in it?

I’m not sure what the decision will be, as of right now there are no upcoming decisions to be made. But yes, I always ask His will. I don’t want to step outside of His will.

9. What area of your life most needs simplifying and what is one way you could do so?

My home life really needs simplifying. We’re kind of in this transitional state where we have a bunch of stuff that needs to be removed from our home and improvements that need to be done. If we could get all this in order, it would simplify my daily routine in a positive way.

10. What has God taught me about Himself this year – who He is and how He works- that will impact my relationship with Him?

He has taught me so much. He has taught me that He takes His time– that He wants us to slow down and to be patient and to trust Him. To listen. Realizing this has helped me to know how to handle future periods of waiting and increased my joy and thankfulness for Him.

11. What habit would you most like to establish this year?

I want to get back into the habit of reading my Bible daily. I was doin the Bible in a year challenge for half of the year and then, when I went to Kentucky, that kind of flew out the window.

12. What one thing do you most regret about last year and what will you do about it this year?

What I most regret about this past year is that I spent so much time living in this identity of the victim or the “girl who had her heart broken.” I battled that but I felt like I was the victim. Yes, I did get hurt. But I know God’s promises and His truth and yet I let the devil whisper lies and fill up my head with nonsense. Looking back, I am so thankful. Rejection is a form of God’s protection. I read that in a book, summer of 2017. And here I am, over a year later, truly acknowledging this statement. I realize that what I thought I wanted, who I thought I wanted, is not what I want. There are so many reasons to be thankful that God wrecked my plans before they could wreck me, but the main one is that He saves us for His best and what He has for us.

13. In what area of your life do you most need growth and what will you do about it this year?

I need to grow in the knowledge of who I am in Christ which means I need to spend more time with Him.

14. If those who know you best gave you advice, what would it be? Would they be right? What will you do about it?

I think they would say to let go. I hold onto things so tightly, things that aren’t for me. I need to learn to let go and move on. Ask God for help, haha.

15. In what area of your life do you need most change and what will you do about it this year?

I need to work on expressing my feelings in love and calmly. I am sensitive, but I brush a lot of things off instead of addressing them directly. I need to work on communication. Once again, ask God for help.

In the beginning of 2018, I chose “delight” as my word for the year. And that is what I did. I delighted in what God did, how He moved, and where He sent me. I delighted in the people He brought into my life and, eventually, in the people He took away. I delighted in Him.

Winter Snow

Fall has rolled into the pine-filled wonders of Alabama. Abruptly, might I add– ushered in with days of cold rain. With the leaves on the trees changing from shades of green to those warmer hues of yellow, red, and orange, I’ve been thinking about the seasons. I’ve been thinking about God’s plans, His timing, waiting, winter, the harvest, and Christmas. And I’ve been thinking about change– a word that used to stop me in my tracks. 

When I was young, I used to hate the idea of change. Over time, I’ve grown to embrace it. I like when things are happening and days are full of energy. I don’t particularly enjoy large quantities of doing nothing– it makes me restless. I like to have a purpose; I thrive in environments where I am working. 

In late January, I was first introduced to the idea of “seasons” in the Biblical sense. And throughout 2018, I have been reminded over and over again of seasons and periods of waiting– not just reminded, but I’ve experienced them. A year ago, I graduated college. And I had all these plans and this roadmap for what direction my life was headed in but instead God sent me on a few detours to get me where I am today. And I’m so thankful that He did. Those roads took me to breathtaking places and through life-altering experiences with beautiful people that I’ll cherish for the rest of my life. But those detours involved a great deal of waiting and what felt like an endless winter. 

Even after a period of harvest, I stepped into another icy winter. Since summer came to a bittersweet end and I returned home, I’ve had tons of adventures, but in between those adventures, I’ve had tons of what felt like purposeless free time. Even though I was actively searching for a job, I wasn’t gaining results. Despite the hope I had in God’s promises, I was confused and lost, and honestly, sad. And then a few weeks ago, God sent me some encouragement through Godly council. In my Bible study, we talked about time management and living for today. “Some of the biggest opportunities are blessings that just fall into place in order to glorify God.” Well that is exactly what happened, sweet friends. I was blessed with the perfect job and it literally fell into place, y’all!

I waited a year to get to this point. I went through roadblocks, detours, and places with no GPS signal. All because of God’s direction. He knows so much more than we could ever comprehend. He knows what is right for us. He saves us from less than His best. And it may take time and we may doubt but I’m here to say don’t doubt in the darkness what God told you in the light! He is never gonna let us down. He takes His time to make sure everything is just perfect for us. 

He’s done that since the beginning. With His ultimate protection, Jesus Christ, He took His time. Jesus came as a child and lived 33 years before sacrificing Himself to save us. He came like winter snow– quiet, soft, and slow. As I said earlier this year, take delight in your season. Winter prepares us for the most beautiful parts of life.