The year is almost over, and boy has it been a journey! (Exhales)
The challenges. The rewards. The wins. The losses. The lows. The highs.
All of 'em taught us something if we choose to acknowledge the lesson.
Some of you took a leap of faith and followed your dreams:
You started a new business.
You said "Yes" to the dress.
You went back to school.
You started a new career (or retired from one).
You bought your first (or second) home.
You experienced parenthood.
You graduated from (fill in the blank _____).
You accomplished a lot.
But that's just part of the story.
Let's face it. As good as this year was, it was ugly too. And that's the truth. Many of us took losses that we may never recover.
We felt the sting of betrayal from family and friends, who we thought would always be there to hold us down.
Maybe your health and finances took a hit and handicapped your plans. With your hopes dashed, and your emotional tank on empty, you thought things couldn't get worse. But they did. So can anyone blame you for wanting to see this year's end? Nope!
While it's easy to be tempted to run and hide from disappointment and pain, I implore you to sit with your feelings. Don't automatically dismiss them. Feel what you need to feel without judgment. If you're not used to 'feeling,' this may be uncomfortable.
Sometimes navigating our emotions and feelings can feel like riding a unicycle, and it feels unnatural and difficult until our body gets used to it. The same can be true about our relationship with God.
Like any skill, it takes time to develop it. To put this into perspective, it helps to remember that our connection to God strengthens the more time we spend in His word. We can better understand our emotions through a consistent prayer life and conscious living. Staying connected to the Source gives us hope for a future. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
What I've seen in 2022 makes me realize my hope is in Jesus. I need to increase my time with Him and develop a stronger relationship. I pray you will stay connected to the Vine and rooted in your faith in the New Year.
We may not choose what happens to us, but we can choose how we react to each experience.
Choose to make 2023 better!
I pray that 2023 is better for each one of us.
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Janette Owens is the founder of Be Inspired For Real and owner of Be Inspired For Real LLC. She loves everything inspirational and has spent most of her life inspiring and motivating others through humor, prose, exhortation, and God's love. Janette is the author of A Swan Song, an intimate collection of poems and short stories. Janette lives just outside of Memphis, Tennessee.
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