Goodbye 2017, Hello 2018
I would ask how 2017 treated you, but in all honesty, it’s irrelevant. The question worth asking is, “how did you treat yourself in 2017?” For some, 2017 brought heartache and tragedy. Others might have experienced God’s love for the first time. Or maybe, new doors opened and new opportunities presented itself. Maybe you fell in love. Maybe you experienced separation or an end to a relationship or friendship. Or maybe, you reconnected with an old friend. Whatever came your way, rather struggle or success, I want you to be aware of how you made it through.
Did you talk to God, regularly? Most importantly, did you listen? Did you hear Him clearly or did you constantly struggle with identifying the source of your thoughts? Did you face your struggle with confidence and courage because you knew you were clothed in the armor of God? Or, did you coward? In your successes, who received the glory—you or God? Do you know if your “success” was a blessing from God or a curse from Satan?
I’m concerned with how you handled what 2017 threw your way, because that reveals your faith walk, your capacity to love, your ability to forgive, and your willingness to learn and grow. You see, it doesn’t matter if you experienced a lot of wins or a lot of losses. What matters is, did your successes and failures bring honor and glory to His Holy Name?
As I prepare for 2018, I am taking the time to reflect on my past situations, relationships, and circumstances. I am taking the time to assess my behavior—my response to all things and to all people. Since the end of 2015, I have experienced some really tough times. I endured more than I thought I should have had to. By the time 2017 had come around, I was struggling with smiling again. I hadn’t authentically smiled in two whole years. While I spent the beginning of 2017 sad and hopeless, I soon learned that my attitude was holding me back. Now, as I look back, I no longer recognize the shell of the person I once was.
You see, 2017 taught me about love and patience. As cliché as it may be, it taught me how to stop talking about it and be about it. I was over the pitifulness. I was over being sad one day and nearly emotionless the next. I was over being down and out. It’s NOT where I ever belonged. I had to get up and remind myself who the heck I was! I had to rediscover my love for reading, writing, dancing and singing around the house, as I normally do. I had to reintroduce myself to my smile. I had to get accustomed to my laugh again and so on.
In the beginning of 2017, I treated myself poorly. I didn’t treat myself the way God would have wanted me to. Though it felt like the longest journey ever, when I finally got it—when I finally remembered who I was in Christ, things began to fall into place. I kept seeking God first. My prayer life was no longer a chore; I began waking up ready to get with God first and deal with everything else second. My desire to read His word had increased—I no longer felt antsy or idle at times in learning about Him and His Kingdom. I learned to treat my successes like my failures. No matter how bad, how tough, or how ugly the struggle was, I experienced it with grace, dignity, confidence, and courage. In 2017, God taught me so much about understanding—He taught me how to be understanding with others and how to lean on His understanding, as opposed to my own. Today, my love is more of a reflection of His love than it ever has been.
No year will ever be perfect. You can claim it now, “2018 is going to be my year.” Well, you know what, I pray it is. But what if it’s not? What if you face new struggles in 2018? What if out the gate things look tough? Are you going to handle the hard times of 2018 better than you did in 2017? Or, what if your 2018 is amazing? What if you’re finances are looking right, your body is tight, and your love life is looking bright? Are you going to be faithful in your prayer life the way you were when you were so low you had no choice but to move up? Are you going to keep going to church, or are you good now (until you need Him again)?
I say this to inspire each and every one of us to not put all these demands on God or ourselves, just to give up later on. So many people give up on their New Year resolutions because it’s not smooth running or easy after a week or two of commitment. Joy is a choice. Peace is a choice. Love is a choice. You can either choose to make 2018 as beautiful as you have been dreaming about, or you can allow everything (big or small) that occurs in 2018 determine your level of peace and joy—and let it write your experience with love for you. How wonderful your 2018 is going to be is determined by YOU; it is not determined by your situation, circumstance, or a relationship. It is determined by YOU. Remember that, loves.
So, I say, thank you God for 2017. Thank you for every lesson, blessing, and experience. Thank you for the end of past pain and so many wonderful new beginnings. But, in love and with great appreciation for all that I have been through and made it out of—for all the successes and failures, GOODBYE 2017 and with a warm and loving welcome, HELLO 2018.
I’m ready for ya! You’re already looking quite beautiful!