Welcome to 2021!
It's a new year and a new month, and for a lot of people, that means a lot of new things -
A list of new goals to work towards;
A bunch of new ideas you're hoping to turn into reality;
A new mindset and a new way you're going to think about things.
While you're focused on all those new things on that long list of yours, it's easy to forget who makes that all possible for you -
God
God saw you through the rollercoaster that was last year.
God woke you up this morning.
God has plans to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11)
We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.
Proverbs 16:9
No one could have predicted the events of last year. Once it struck midnight on January 1, 2020, we all activated 2020 vision, and boy were our eyes opened. We certainly had a very real and rude awakening. But just as we couldn't have predicted last year, we can't predict what'll happen this year.
So while you may have new plans, ideas and goals for this year, don't be disheartened if the circumstances of this year don't allow you to fulfil them the way you thought you would, or perhaps fulfil them at all. I'm not asking you to downsize your goals or to stop dreaming big (go for it all, I'm here for it). Instead, I'm asking you to be fair to yourself in the process. When you're in a car, you never hope for a flat tyre, but you do prepare for the possibility of it happening by keeping a spare tyre in the boot of your car. Essentially, I'm saying be prepared to take some breaks, make some u-turns, or come to a complete stop. Don't be too hard on yourself if you have to deviate from your plan for a little while. When you're ready, find your balance and start off again. This life we're living is a marathon, not a sprint, so enjoy the race while you're in it. You will make it to the finish line.
"new year, new me."
A lot of pressure is put on the new year. Some of us wait for a new year to begin again as if starting over is limited to the ending of one year and the beginning of another. I'm learning to appreciate every day and take everything a day at a time. Trust me, it's less pressure and allows you to really appreciate the moment you're in now. It's easy to get lost in the idea of celebrating reaching your destination before you've even arrived. All you have is today, so learn to appreciate the beauty of this moment in your journey now.
So ... we're a few days into the new year and I want to take a moment to remind you to spend time thanking God for where you are in life right now. You don't always need to be too focused on the future or on things that haven't happened yet. Focus on how you got to today and be thankful that you have survived everything up until this day. You may not be where you'd like to be, but through everything you've experienced, good and bad, God has seen you through it all. God is above your bad situation, your fears and your worries. There is no one more faithful than God. The thing I want you to remember is that God waits for no man, no holiday, no religion, no ritual. When it is your time, God will pick you up and place you where you need to be, regardless of circumstance. We're so eager to improve our current situations, that we forget how far God has brought us already. Remember when you prayed to be where you are right now. Let's not forget how good God has been to us. The fact that you woke up this morning is reason enough to thank God.
And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.
Ephesians 3:18
I will survive whatever comes my way in 2021 and so will you. Not only will we survive this year, but we will thrive in it. We will embrace what comes our way and make the most of it by learning the necessary lessons prepared for us, after all, experience is the best teacher. So this year, whatever it holds for you, however you decide to live it, live it walking by faith and thank God that you made it to see 2021. Let God be the author of your story and live it out the way He has ordained for you. Trust God and know that He will make you shine and go from glory to glory.
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
2 Corinthians 3:18
At the beginning of every year, we hear people say, "new year, new me". The year might be new, but I'm going to make sure I focus on who God is and has always been. I am more than blessed to have entered this new year with the same God that has never failed me and never forsaken me. I am so blessed to have entered the new year with the same God that loves me, covers me, and protects me. So, as you focus on this new year and your new goals and your "new" self, don't forget about the unchanging God who makes all things possible for you.
Time will pass and the year will come and go, but God always remains the same.
“For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, the sons of Jacob, have not come to an end.
Malachi 3:6 NASB
Sending love and positivity your way
Danielle
XO