The Year God Unraveled My Life

PART 1 NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS

Have you ever prayed for something and God answered your prayer in the most unexpected way?  It was the new year, and like most people, I wanted to take time to reflect and look forward.  The words scrawled in my journal, January 2, 2024, “making space in the new year…”

Making space for God.  Opening my heart to a deeper relationship with Jesus.  Reading the Bible.  Making space for my marriage.  Really being present with my husband and our time together.  Making space for creativity and trying new ideas.  Creating not from a place of scarcity, fear, or need.  Making space for God’s word to be present in my work and life. All good and beautiful desires right?

Unfortunately for me, I am the type of person who makes resolutions, goes all in and then gets caught up in the currents of life with my big plans left behind. Establishing good long lasting habits has never been a strength of mine, in fact my lack of discipline is a regular theme in my journal. I am what you would call a resolution sprinter, going all in with maximum speed for short distances, lacking the endurance and discipline needed for those resolutions that resemble more of a marathon.  Yet all of my resolutions seem to revolve around my desire for some long term goal to be met or habit to be formed.  And year after year, resolution after failed resolution, I keep trying again and again.

Fortunately for me, God thought my resolutions for 2024 were pretty good and he decided to intervene on my behalf.  Did my lack of discipline matter?  Nope.  I could create a list a mile long with all my shortcomings, those character flaws and sins that prevent me from being the person I wish I could be. Those things that I often despair over, God said do not worry,

for “my grace is sufficient, for my power is made perfect in your weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

My prayer for 2024 was written on my heart (and in my journal), and soon God was going to start unraveling my life to make space for all that I had hoped...

Looking Ahead

Welcome to the New Year!! Does the new year bring about feelings of hope and excitement for new possibilities? Does it bring about worry or anxiety of the unknown? What are your hopes? What are your fears? I encourage you to write them down.

I have been an off again on again journal-er since 2nd grade (that's a really long time...) and I still have my very first "diary" I received as a gift for my First Communion, a notebook with a lion head pop out when you open the cover. It can be quite entertaining to go back and re-read the words and thoughts from your youth, and if you're anything like me with the memory of a Goldfish (yes, I just Googled which animal has the worst memory), then having a window into life events, memories, emotions is such a gift. Honestly, even if you don't ever go back to read your words, the act of journaling and dumping whatever is on your mind and heart is great for your well-being!

2024 ended up being a really hard year for our family. One where I had to learn to surrender my heart and my life more fully to God. This time was hard but very much full of grace and blessing. If I hadn't written my words in January of 2024, like most things those thoughts would have faded into the busyness of life and responsibility. When I looked back and saw those words recently, I could see more fully just how much God had answered my hopes and prayers.

My prayer for 2025, and one that I pray for YOU, is that come what may...sunshine or rain, joys or sufferings, that we may surrender our hearts more fully to Jesus, to lean on God's word, and with gratitude, knowing that God LOVES us so tenderly, live our days with HIM as our Hope, our Strength and our Peace.

Much Love,

Christie

P.S. Writing in this way and sharing it on this platform is a new endeavor for me. My hope is to reflect on the workings of God in our lives and how we can live our life in fuller communion with Him. God calls us to communion with Him and to community and fellowship with each other, so if something I write or share speaks to you, please leave a comment or send a message to share your story!