I know we still have a couple of weeks left in 2013 but the last 2 weeks of the year are almost always crazy and rarely ever produce much time for reflection and writing for me so while I have a few extra minutes I wanted to sit down and take an intentional moment to write about the things I've learned this year. This is no where near a comprehensive list as this has been one of the most trying AND rewarding years of my life - but it's a list - at the very least it's a glimpse into the year that I can come back to years from now and remember and reflect - always good things to do.
So here goes nothing...
Lessons and Learnings from 2013:
1. Knowing who you are is without question the most important thing in today's world. We are constantly bombarded with new ideas on religion, politics, relationships, etc...knowing who you are is more than knowing your name and where you came from - knowing yourself is knowing what you believe, completely, and being confident enough in those beliefs that you can defend them when you are attacked yet you can also listen to others opinions and appreciate them for what they are yet still hold true to what you believe deep in your spirit. Knowing yourself is loving yourself first, aside from any other relationship - putting the time and energy into figuring out who you are and who you want to be. I was reading an article on relationships today and a quote from the article that I really agree with and appreciate was this: "What I've learned over the years is this profound truth, that the most important person you should get to know is yourself. When it comes to finding the right guy and getting into a healthy relationship - you can't know what you want until you know who you are" TRUTH - without a doubt - One of the best decisions I made several years ago was taking a time out from dating and using the energy I would have been spending in a relationship to figure out my own life...politically what did I believe and why did I believe it - GOD...that was a roller coaster ride - what did I know to be true about Him not based on what my parents had taught me or what anyone else had said - what did I believe and what did I want my relationship with Him to look like...what did I want out of a relationship, out of a potential mate? What was good enough and what was unacceptable...I could go on honestly but the point is - I spent time figuring out what made me tick, and what I wanted out of this life - and I haven't regretted that time at all, quite the opposite actually. I'm THANKFUL for the time. I've learned this year that standing up for yourself, and what you believe, is one of the hardest yet most rewarding things you will ever do.
2. Home isn't defined by walls, structure, coziness in a specific place. I've blogged about this already but when my family lost their home in April - well, I never had felt that kind of pain before. It was certainly a grieving process that was unexpected and a loss that I wish we never had to endure...HOWEVER, GOD IS GOOD YALL. I honestly get extremely overwhelmed emotionally every time I talk about it or write about it because when I go back to that day, and the weeks that followed, I see God's hand and grace painted over the entire picture! He never left us, He never forsake us...He was always right by our side. And through the journey, through the adventure as I challenged my family to see it the night after the fire...we have all grown closer to each other and closer to our Creator than any of us every imagined we would. I have seen a renewed sense of strength in my mother. A tragedy that I was sure would defeat her and cause her to fall into a threatening pit of depression had done quite the opposite for her - she stands with grace and class in the face of the disaster and speaks of her Father who has called her to Himself. She has had hundreds of opportunities to share her faith with other believers and nonbelievers...what satan meant for defeat God has used for His glory! Miraculous! And my daddy...who I knew would stand strong in the presence of others but feared would crumble on his walks through the yard alone at night has risen up in the wake of what some would call a terrible time and spoken of his Savior time and time again. He continues to speak of God's favor, His love to our family, and just how BLESSED we are. Yall, God is at work in my family and I couldn't be more proud today to be a Thompson -
3. It's the things you think will kill you that turn into beautiful experiences and representations of God's love and grace. I always thought I was a pretty strong woman but this year - some things came into my world that I was far from prepared to deal with. I had no idea they were coming and when they came I honestly didn't know how I would walk through them and come out alive. But I can tell you that even when you feel like life is caving in around you - HE IS FAITHFUL - and we are called to give things to Him everyday, some days - well, you just have to give Him things over and over and over again...every ten minutes....to survive. There's a complete blog post coming in January about this and I cannot wait to share God's story with anyone who reads. I know now more than EVER from experience that my God is FILLED with LOVE and GRACE and MERCY for His children and He longs to walk with us and carry us through every single storm of life...and the beautiful thing about being a believer in the one true God is that on the other side of the storm - He makes Himself known in such an amazing way if you will just look for it.
4. I was created for more. I've always known this - always felt a significant tug in my spirit to reach out, love more, give more - but this year volunteering at the children's hospital and becoming a DGroup leader have been the most rewarding experiences of my life to date. I'm not sure what God is calling me to exactly - but I know I've got my ears open and I'm waiting on His direction and wisdom daily.
I've got a lot to do today so I am going to say this is the first edition of my year in review and I'll add more post about 2013 soon...hopefully before the end of 2013 :) Wishing every one of you a very Merry Christmas...remember when it all gets a bit to chaotic to sit back and soak up the goodness of the season which is - Christ came to earth FOR YOU...a miracle...a blessing...the meaning of it all.
Merry Christmas!
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