2017.
Wow. What a year. So much life happened.
This year I…
… went to Mackinac Island and experienced a life-changing bike ride…
… got my first smartphone…
… actually had fun writing 3 research papers over ten pages (2 over fifteen)…
… embarked on an epic journey to start learning the Russian language on my own…
… ran my first 5K (unofficially)…
… saw my amazing sister graduate college AND perform in a professional opera…
… became a PA in the residence halls on campus, and think I’m probably not terrible at it…
… vacuumed up a heinous amount of creepy-crawlies in my basement-level dorm room…
… saw AJR live in concert (no words)…
… experienced the complete loss of AC in my car, yet in a feat of the human spirit, still survived the summer…
… resolved to pursue long-suppressed dreams of becoming a historian…
… wrote for the school newspaper, which made me feel really badass-nerdy…
… went the farthest east I’ve ever been (Memphis, TN)…
… took SO MANY naps…
… and ate so much ice cream…
… turned 20, (omg)…
… witnessed a solar eclipse (ditto)…
… fulfilled my dream of touring the Joslyn castle with my lovely mom and sister…
… learned how to appreciate black coffee…
… felt like Jonah a lot of the time, and sometimes like Daniel.
And yet, looking back, I feel like most of the major events in my life this year were shifts of perspective rather than direction. Every time I thought I’d figured it out, something would happen to disturb my pristine snow globe and humble me in the most profound way. 2017 was a wonderful, joy-deepening, difficult year. A year of reflection, continuously leading me back to the fact that God is so present in this world and in my life.
My word for last year was CONTENT. This year, 2018, seems to follow naturally: COMMIT.
God is calling me to seek His purpose and glory, rejecting apprehension and trusting Him with my whole life, even when that feels like leaving my heart behind. Jesus gave me nothing short of everything when he went to the cross; how can I not respond by offering him all I have?
In 2018 I’m moving forward. Forward with the knowledge of my redemption, and with determination to achieve old dreams and discover new ones.
I have been constantly reminded this year not just of God’s love for me, but of the wonderful gift I have been given in my relationships with those around me. To all of you, may you carry the blessings of 2017 with you into this new year, and may you know what it is to be loved fearlessly, unconditionally and fully by the One who created you.
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