It’s pretty easy to say that 2020 has been an absolutely crazy year, and now 2021 is upon us. I don’t know about you, but as 2020 comes to an end, I feel mixed emotions; while 2020 was an incredibly hard year with ups and downs, God used 2020 to grow me and reveal himself to me in ways I didn’t know possible. As I reflect on this year, I truly see God’s faithfulness through every challenging day and disappointment, and I see how he has used that to strengthen my relationship with him.
Something different this year
As 2021 comes, I am filled with excitement and hope that comes with a new year; I have been praying that God would prepare my heart for what he has for me in 2021, and I have been reflecting on what I hope in this new year. I don’t know about you, but usually, a couple of days before January 1st, I’m making a never-ending list of resolutions. I get so excited and make about a million goals and say, “this year will be different,”; but then I forget all about them by February. I decided this year that I will not go through this cycle again; it didn’t seem fitting after the year of growth I have felt.
Over the past couple of weeks, I have been praying that God would open my heart for what he has for me this next year. I decided I would pick a word for my year, one word that I felt God wanted me to walk in and that he would teach me about. Then I set out to find this word, and to be honest; it was hard at first; God has revealed his faithfulness to me; he blew my expectations out of the water. I mean, how could I put just one word over my year when I know that my God is so much bigger than that?
Let the Lord press on your heart
Well, I was talking to my best friend about this, and she told me a couple of things, first that it doesn’t have to be done on January 1st, 2021, take your time to in reflecting on the year and what you hope for the new one. To reflect and pray on what God has done this year; to just sit down and let what he says come out, she recommended writing my word at the top of a notecard and adding a couple of verses or things that God puts on my heart. She told me not to overthink it (she knows me so well) and that no matter what word I pick, God will continue to reveal himself.
And he did. I felt him press a word on my heart and a couple of other things he began to teach me this year. I also reflected and realized that as I looked back over this year, in the moment I didn’t see him working in every good and bad thing I walked through this year. But looking back I see him in it all; God was building on his teachings and revealing himself more and more. As I prayed, he gave me eyes to see his hand over this past year and realizing he was indeed faithful in every step; rejoicing as he answered prayers and trusting his faithfulness through answers that may not have been my favorite but truly realizing that his plan is beyond better than mine ever will be.
His will be done
This morning I was praying over this next year, and as I realized that I didn’t want to ask him to change things in 2021, I didn’t want him to make things be how I want them or to be “better” in my eyes. Because there were so many times this year that I wanted situations to change and be different, and often they still weren’t the way I wanted them, but now, looking back, I see how God used those situations to teach me, grow me, and strengthen me. Although it was still really hard, and I would doubt God in it all, I see now that he was working all things together for good and growth.
Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
That doesn’t mean that it’s not hard, and I don’t wish things were different sometimes or that I don’t fear what is to come. But it means that I know he is faithful in all situations, and he won’t waste the struggles we walk through. So, I decided that I will pray for God’s will over this year because honestly, I know that my Almighty God and father has it under control, and that is what gives me hope for this next year.
Reflect on what he has done
I don’t know what your 2020 has looked like, but I know it didn’t go as you expected it to. I would encourage you to reflect on this year and try to see what God has done and find joy in how he has worked in your life this year and praise him for that. Also, reflect on the hard things you faced this year and ask God to open your eyes to see how he is using that, it often takes time to see how he uses our pain, and sometimes we never know, but we have to trust that his ways are higher than ours.
I would also encourage you to pray that the Lord would prepare your heart for 2021 and for eyes to see what he is doing this year because God is making a move, and I don’t know about you, but I want to be a part of it. I promise you that he is working in all things, in seasons of waiting, hurt, joy, and in all of it, and I honestly can’t wait to see what he will do in 2021.
Trust in the Lord
“Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your ways to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your justice as the noonday”. Psalm 37:6-7
I pray that you will find hope in this next year and in how the Lord is faithful through all circumstances. Also, please check out the post about walking in faith https://livinglifewithgracie.com/learning-to-walk-in-faith/. I hope you know that you are fully known and fully loved; please reach out if you need anything. Happy New Year!!
-Gracie K
p.s. Also check out my mom’s blog: https://www.lifesneverdull.com/
Instagram: gracie.k.johnson
Pinterest: Gracie K Johnson
