I love taking a step back toward the end of the year and reflecting on how I have seen the Lord at work throughout the year. Looking back on 2015, it was a year full of memories, challenges, and a whole lot of growth. These are in no particular order, but encompass a small piece of what this year has held.
This year I got to stand up next to some of my very close friends on their wedding days. I watched other close friends get engaged and am excited to be a part of their weddings this coming year. These are such special moments. I watched other friends have babies and have loved getting to be a part of their lives and be a part of their children's life.
I got to vacation with my best friend, road tripping and going on a cruise in the Bahamas. It was a week full of memories that I will forever treasure.
I have learned so much through my RA's and the residents whose lives I have gotten to invest in. I love my job as a resident director. I love getting to be a part of others lives and know their stories.
I got to spend a summer at camp, doing and being a part of something I never imagined being a part of. These three months were hard, but through them I learned so much. I was stretched in new ways. I learned the importance of being vulnerable with those around me, and allowing others to help me.
Through camp and my job at the school, I discovered how much I love working with kids, and how important education is. I'm not sure what that means or looks like for years to come, but realizing our passions is so important in guiding our decisions in the future.
I learned that in our struggles and weaknesses admitting those is extremely important and then taking steps to overcome them is also important. We have to lean into Jesus during these times and find those whom we can journey through that with. Anxiety and depression were a stronghold in my life, but I journeyed through that and am continuing to heal from that. It's something that has made many things in my life hard, and yet through it I know Jesus in a new way. I have deeper friendships. I have a new prospective on life. I know what it feels like to not be able to be in control of your thoughts and emotions, to not be able to be joyful when you desire to be. I realize how important it is to be real about what is going on and to seek help. I learned that we don't have to live in shame and fear- as followers of Christ we aren't exempt from the hard things.
This year, I learned what it looks like to share life with someone, to let someone in, and to let someone care. I learned how to care about someone as more than a friend, to enjoy the things they enjoy. I navigated through what it means to be in a dating relationship. I learned a lot about myself, my needs, my desires, my strengths, and my weaknesses. I also learned how important it is for the Lord to be at the center of every relationship.
I learned the freedom found in letting go. Letting go of expectations, letting go of people, letting go of my plans, and letting go of the fear of leaving the place I call home.
Most importantly this year I learned that the Lord must come first. That my relationship with Him has to be my focus every day, above all else. I have experienced a lot of hard things to get to this point, but it's through these experiences that I have grown and that I am reminded that God is in control all the time.
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