2021: A Year of Growth

As we approach the new year, I have been taking time to reflect on what has come from 2021. Naturally, I turn my focus toward my accomplishments and milestones. Did I check everything off the list that I wanted to do this year? While this does carry some significance in my life, it does not fulfill me how I anticipate at the start of each new year. This year as I reflect, I am turning my focus in a new direction. How much time did I spend with Jesus?

The one consistent resolution I have each January is set around reading my Bible more, whether it is starting a 365-day plan to read through the whole book, or to just read my devotional each day when I wake up, and again when I go to bed. This is an accomplishment I have failed to achieve year after year. I can label this as a failure because I, in fact, did NOT read the entire Bible this year… OR I can be proud of myself for my spiritual growth and faith over the last year. I’m going with the latter.

Yes, I got the job I set out for. Yes, I got the certification I wanted. Yes, I bought a car. These were all very exciting and gratifying in the moment, but as we all know, that feeling fades quickly. These things have very little meaning and significance without God. Everything I have in this world is not really mine. The house I live in, the car I drive, the clothes I wear… they all mean nothing if I don’t give the glory to God. With that mindset, EVERYTHING has a new meaning. A stressful situation turns to good when you trust God.

Here’s a testimony from my car experience:

I had been driving the same car since the day I got my license, and in December 2020, the transmission blew leaving me with a bill that cost more than the car was even worth. I did not have the money to fix the problem, and I really didn’t have the money for a down payment or a monthly car note. In a very avoidant kind of way, I thought to myself, “this will work itself out… I don’t know how, but it will.”

So I put it off and tried not to think about it for a few weeks. Shortly into this “avoidant” phase, Mississippi had a wildly rare ice storm and someone slid into my broken down car while it was parked outside my house, only doing some damage to the break light and bumper. But the message was loud and clear: it was time to seriously start looking for a new car and take care of the situation.

As I felt the stress of this creep in, I started praying for God to make a way. Let me just tell you – God made a way. At the time of my annual job evaluation, I was in a contract position that was supposed to end in May. Going back to my previous role would have meant getting a pay cut, and affording a car note would have been extremely difficult. During this evaluation, I was told that I would be staying in this role, meaning I could afford the note.

Shortly after, I received an unexpected bonus that provided me with enough for a down payment. After both of these things took place, I made one search and I found the exact car I was looking for, exactly in my budget. Everything fell into place the minute I put my trust in God and let him do the work.

After this situation early in the year, I made a commitment to spend more intentional time in my Bible and in prayer. I can honestly say that I spent more time reading and praying this year than I have any other year, and that is definitely something I celebrate!

My “accomplishments” of 2021 all come from putting God at the center of everything I do. I have a list of situations I prayed for God to control that turned out perfectly. I have specific times when I asked him to align my heart with his desires, and watched as he changed my heart. The only thing I can do now is give him the glory and thank him for his grace when I try to take back the reins.

I find fulfillment in God’s work in my life. There is no way to know what is going to happen in the upcoming year, so I rest knowing that he’s got me.