Shall I be stereotypical and write a "Welcome New Year" post?
I think yes.
Two thousand and twelve, for me, was no picnic, to be honest. It was full of crazy trials and hardships. No good whatsoever. There is little about 2012 that I can reflect on and say "YES, that was amazing!"(although a few things do come to mind! Things that will be public information in good time.). However, there is so much that I can look back on and say "Look at what I learned from that!" or "Look at what happened because of that!".
The number one thing that I felt like God was really trying to teach me this year was a lesson of trust. As some of you may know, I really have a hard time trusting people. It takes me a long time to really, truly trust someone and, even then, I am still relatively reserved and almost shy about being real with somebody. Even if that somebody starts with a capital "S".
That is why the verse (now tattooed on my back in gorgeous calligraphy and also engraved on my purity ring!!) Jeremiah 29:11 is so wonderful to me. Jeremiah 29:11-13: "For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."
The idea that my future is 100% planned out for my good is a thought so incredibly powerful and moving to me. I needn't fret about tomorrow for tomorrow is already planned out. And on top of being planned out, it is done so for my good. This incredibly tough and trying year? It was planned out for my good. Although I cannot necessarily see what that good is right now...
To be honest, sometimes (okay, most times...okay, FINE. always...) the Christian cliches drive me crazy. Let's be real, anybody who grew up in the church had "Trust in Jesus" drilled into them since they were a little tiny kid going to Sunday School (anybody taught that lesson using flannelgraph or puppets? I was!). For some reason though, this is just one lesson that I had and am having to relearn.
Along with trust, I suppose, goes the lesson of reliance. Trust and reliance go hand-in-hand, I think. Once one learns or is learning to trust, the lesson of learning to rely or depend comes soon after.
As a naturally independent I-Can-Do-It-Myself-And-I-Don't-Need-Your-Help type of person, this was and is rather difficult to learn. However, when you have so many hardships thrown your way within the span of a year, or even a day, depending, the lesson becomes incredibly necessary. I, first, need to trust God that he knows the plans for my life and has created them for good. Secondly, I need to rely on Him and His plan.
As grateful as I am that this year is finally over and a new year is nigh, I am very happy to have gone through what I have in order to have been able to work on learning these two very important lessons.
So, Happy New Year, my friends!!
