Tomorrow Starts a New Year

"And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”     2 Corinthians 3:18 

Tomorrow starts a new year. I don’t know about you, but I can hardly believe it. I usually have a hard time figuring out how the days of the week past so quickly, and often the months pass by in the blink of an eye too, but you would think that one could get a handle on what year it is! Yet somehow, I often find myself still thinking it’s 2020, and when I do take a moment to realize that we are really working our way into the 2020’s at this point… well, I just have a hard time really grasping that. I often reflect on a memory that feels like it took place only a year ago, maybe two at max, just to realize that it’s been five years, if not more! 

But regardless of how long it takes my mind to catch up or how long it takes me to grasp the passing of time, the fact is that tomorrow begins a new year… the year of 2023.

In these days between Christmas and New Years, I’ve really been thinking about this. These last days of the year have led me to intentionally think back to one year ago today and where I was, both physically and spiritually. It’s led me to consider the circumstances of that time and the things that I had been praying over and working through. And from those thoughts I’ve moved forward along the timeline, reminiscing on the adventure of this past year. 

What happened in this year?

Where have I gone? 

What memories am I carrying forward?

Who has walked by my side? 

Who did God place in my life this year?

What did I learn?

What did God teach me? 

Friends, let me tell you, it has been a crazy year. From working remotely in the mountains of Colorado to serving on a ship in Africa to beginning a full-time job in the mountains of North Carolina. From having a loose schedule in my day to day to having a structured schedule throughout my week. From being isolated to being surrounded by community. From living with temporary arrangements to establishing some sort of permanency. From being a nurse over the phone, to bedside nursing on a ward, to working in a cubicle. From crying out to the Lord for direction, to listening for the Lord’s guidance in my every step. From faith to faith to faith. Without a doubt, it has been a memorable year.  

In addition to all of these transitions, I think about all of the people God has brought into my life this year and all of the friendships that He has sustained. I think of the work that God has done among my family and the time that I’ve been able to spend with them. I think about the places that I have had the opportunity to visit and the new cultures that I have been able to explore. I think of the faces of those people that have shared their stories that will remain etched in my mind for years to come. I think of the wisdom that has been so freely passed along to me. I think of the way that God has provided through each step of this journey. Oh, how He has provided in every way at every time. And I think of the lessons that God has taught me this year and the way He has continually equipped me for the path that He knows lies ahead. 

I know that this day can be busy with New Years Eve celebrations, postponed Christmas parties, or just the usual flow of life, but can I encourage you to take some time to step away and reflect today? Don’t let this be another year that passes you by without taking a moment to stop and to truly, intentionally think back on the adventure of this past year. 

What happened in this year?

Where have you gone? 

What memories are you carrying forward? 

Who has walked by your side? 

Who did God place in your life this year?

What did you learn?

What did God teach you? 

As I’ve taken the time to reflect on these things throughout these past few days, my thoughts have almost inevitably turned to thanks, and my hope is the same for you. Nothing that has happened in my life in this past year is a result of my doing. In fact, of every year of my life thus far, this past year it has been more clear than ever that this is not a result of my doing. 

Just a few weeks ago someone asked me what my dreams are for my life? What it is that I am hopeful for in the years to come? And to be honest, I couldn’t answer that question. It’s not that I’m not ambitious, but rather, it’s that I’ve seen that God’s plans are not only better than my own, but that they are better than I can even imagine. 

With this in mind, and in the reflections upon this past year, my greatest hope and dream is to listen to God each and every day this year and in the years to come, that I may walk in His will for my life and thus experience the greatest joy and peace that flows through knowing that I am exactly where I am supposed to be, with every single day. I don’t do this perfectly, and I likely never will, but I want to set my heart and my mind to do my best because I know that there is nothing that compares to being in the will of the Lord. If you have experienced this, you know exactly what I am talking about and I want to encourage you to pursue that place with every day this year. 

Right now, I am sitting at a coffee shop with two lists by my side. After posting this, I plan to fill out these lists before the clock strikes midnight tonight. The first list is a list of thanks that are flowing from my reflections upon this past year and the second is a list of prayers as I look into the year ahead. Would you join me in this today? This time next year, we will likely think back to our Christmas and New Year celebrations from this week, and whatever happens between now and then, but my hope is that we will also take time to find these lists and that we will again, take a moment to look back on the year of 2023. 

For your convenience, I have attached a document to this post (if I can figure out the technology correctly it will be at the bottom of this page) that will prompt you in making these lists. Print it out or save it on your computer, whatever is easiest for you. I only ask that you fill it out and then remember where you can find it next year, or even in the middle of this year, to look back upon and to reflect on the next section of your journey. 

The first message that I heard this Christmas season was a reminder that God is always doing a new thing, so I leave you with this. Regardless of where you are today, the circumstances that you are facing, the challenges that you are struggling through, or the mountains tops that you are exploring… God is doing a new thing. He is at work today, He has been at work in the year behind you, and He is and will be at work in the year ahead. Let us take the time to see it today and to prepare us to see it in the year ahead. 

With so much love, 

Your sister in Christ.