2018 Reflections
This year started with the birth of our third baby boy and ended with a trip to Disneyland. Sounds like it should have been one of the best years of our lives, but instead it was one of the hardest.
As healing as it would be to write out all the difficult details of this past year, I don't want to give one ounce of credit to the enemy. I choose to believe that God will use it all.
If anything, I think 2018 made me realize we are only promised today. And when you really understand that, there's a peace and acceptance about your life that fills you. Worry is replaced with joy. You start to understand that if you're single, you aren't promised a husband. And even though you long for that, God's promise of today is better. If you're married, you aren't promised a child. When you work hard, you aren't promised success. If you pray and go to church, you aren't promised a pain free life with only blessings.
So many people right now are telling you to work harder, lose the weight, write the book, fold your clothes a certain way, buy this product, start the blog, be more authentic, dress cuter, put yourself out there, buy these decorations, join this team, and sell this stuff. In reality, you just need to BE because all you have is today.
And honestly, all of that sounds completely exhausting to me!
The problem is that all the motivational-self-love-do-better stuff is exactly what people LOVE to hear. Everyone wants to hear how great they can be, how they can earn money the easy way, how they can have that body or that salary in one month flat.
We love shortcuts....me included.
How they can get past a painful experience. Feel empowered by moving on from that relationship. Hardly work but make bank. Finally saying NO. Break free from heartache. Everyone loves a good pump up speech. Who doesn't want victory over all those things?
But, it only goes so far. Eventually, you're back where you started and thinking, "Where was God during the process?" When in fact, you never even invited Him in.
Instead of looking at the new year thinking about all those "things" you need to do to be better, ask the Holy Spirit to take control. Surrender. Leave room for Jesus to move. Realize you serve a God that adores you. Focus on your heart change from the inside out. Get right with the people you love. Put your energy in just today.
Don't forget...anyone can look good on the outside and hide how they're really feeling.
I want to live for today...in the moment. Don't get me wrong though. I get excited about the future, I have really bad days, I feel overwhelmed, I yell at my kids, I screw up. But you know what is never changing? Jesus. He's always there, waiting for you to come...rest...breathe deep...learn.
I pray 2019 is a year of refreshment for our souls as we surrender daily to Jesus. I pray we learn how to live for today and today only. Rest and take one day at a time. And ultimately find our worth in Him, because it's there that everything else falls into place.
xoxo
Nicole