Are you glad to see 2018 in the rear-view mirror? Me too.
Hindsight really is 20/20. Though we don’t need to revisit everything, it’s good to look back. But, before we question our history, it’s good to question ourselves.
Are we looking back to move forward? Or are we ruminating and wishing it was different? Are we asking questions so we can grow? Or are we looking for blame?
We want justice. We want answers. All of them. Now.
It’s human nature to ask “Why me?” or “Why did this happen?” But, they zap our energy and take us to the edge of crazy. We are angry and anxious because we don’t always find clear-cut answers. And sometimes we find answers we don’t like.
With all the suffering around us, it helps me to ask another tough question, “Why not me?” Why shouldn’t I have my share? If we accept blessing in our lives, we accept hardship. We learn how to live well when we learn how to suffer well.
Whether we’re looking back or we’re right smack in the middle of difficulty, the right questions aren’t always easy but they’re so freeing. We reclaim our peace and power and come out fighting.
That, my friend, is what got me through last year’s darkness with most of my body and brain cells intact. I finally started asking better, healthier questions. And I just. kept. asking.
Why me? Why is this happening?
“What can I learn?”
Through our toughest trials, God promises to grow our faith if we let him. This side of heaven, we may never know the “whys” of our circumstances. And that’s okay. When we let go of our need to know, we open up to the new. More peace, new wisdom, and deeper faith.
I know convention says it’s a bit late to contemplate a New Year’s resolution. But, God is not boxed up in tradition or cultural opinions. He’s on his own timeline. As are we.
It’s never too late to claim our comeback. And keep on claiming it.
So, 2018, while we say good riddance, we thank you for what you teach us. Life’s hard lessons give us more empathy, humility, and endurance. We are less self-reliant, less fearful, and more faith-filled.
Oh, and thanks 2018, for giving us a bit more moxie. We don’t like how we got it but we’re not going back to who we were or how things used to be. We surrender to the something new that God is doing in us and for us. We are moving forward. We’re claiming our comeback.
A New Year’s Prayer
May God make your year a happy one!
Not by shielding you from all sorrows and pain,
But by strengthening you to bear it, as it comes;
Not by making your path easy,
But by making you sturdy to travel any path;
Not by taking hardships from you,
But by taking fear from your heart;
Not by granting you unbroken sunshine,
But by keeping your face bright, even in the shadows;
Not by making your life always pleasant,
But by showing you when people and their causes need you most,
and by making you anxious to be there to help.
God’s love, peace, hope and joy to you for the year ahead.
~Anonymous~
T Rex Photo: https://pixabay.com/users/aitoff-388338/
Good stuff from the nest. Enjoyed the read.
Thanks, Gary. It’s good to be back:)
When many of us have already forgotten about or failed our New Year’s resolutions, you remind us that it’s never too late to start a new. Thank you for that!
Hi Mary! Thanks for reading! It seems I can only write what I need to hear, or what current drama I’m experiencing 🙂 Blessings to you. I appreciate our friendship.