Farewell 2021: Growth and Grace
I’ve sat down to write this blog post several times and it’s been hard for me to find the right words to truly express just how grateful I am to God for keeping me throughout 2021. Never have I had a year where I felt like my faith was being stretched as it was this year. I felt stuck professionally and creatively I just didn’t feel like myself. Looking back, my mental health was not in a very good place for the better part of the last twelve months, so it was a hard year to say the least.
There is someone reading this who has grown tired of praying. There is someone reading this who might feel like God just isn’t hearing them. I want to speak to that person for just a minute…..
Faith is not something that we just turn on and it stays on. Life has a way of distracting us from who God is and what God can do (if we let it). The situations we find ourselves in can sometimes suck the life out of us and trick our minds into thinking that a shift is not around the corner, but it is. It may take a day, a month, or even a year to see something happen, but it’s coming.
In full transparency I cried many days this year. I was so down and discouraged at times. I was so desperate for a change that I considered resigning from my job countless times. I thought about going back to school. I thought about switching careers. I was driving myself crazy trying to take control of my situation so much so that I started to leave God out of the equation. Simply put I was tired of waiting on God.
I truly credit the prayers of those closest to me for not making a foolish decision simply because I had grown impatient. I’m grateful for every sermon and scripture that checked my heart and put me in my place. I’m thankful that even when I doubted, God was still faithful. I am grateful for His grace and mercy, especially on days when I was big mad and completely over it.
I learned the true meaning of joy this year. Joy truly has nothing to do with life circumstances but a decision to live in gratitude no matter what life looks like. This year has taught me the power of perspective. It has made me check how I deal with problems and I’ve come to the realization that patience is something I lack and I must get better at.
While there were low moments there were also memories I will always cherish. I met someone who I love with my entire heart. If you’ve been here for some time then you know my struggles with self love and settling in the past. To be in a place where I can give and receive love from a place of confidence is a beautiful thing and it makes my heart smile just thinking about it. I am creating again and I’m back in my groove. I started therapy and it has had a huge impact on my life. I felt like life was going to swallow me whole this year but by the grace of God I’m still here. I have learned so much about myself and who God is over the last 365 days.
The last two years have been so strange. Between politics and a pandemic, it’s been a lot, but God is still good. I pray that the next year is your best year yet, whatever that may mean for you. I hope there is growth and love and peace in your life for the days to come. May we be good to others but also be good to ourselves. May we grow wiser year to year. May we honor God in how we live and love daily. May the next year be OUR year.
Talk Soon,
Krys
