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Insights, lessons, blessings and trials - 2022
As another year comes to a close, I can’t help reflect, like many, on the year that was and what lays ahead. My habit is now to count my blessings with gratitude from the year just gone and to think about the things that were not so good as things that taught me something, ask myself what I learned from each situation.
Everyone is saying it, ‘What a year it's been’
2020 was filled with shock and grief - COVID hit, along with Lockdowns, and hardship for many. So many things we had never experienced in our lifetime.
2021 carried through, we were all still in the grips of this virus and Government mandates. Many struggled.
2022 was approaching and many of us thought, this year will be different, it sure was.
The memes flew around with people throwing 2021 in the bin, and having optimism for a new year, I always enter a new year with optimism. I am a glass half full gal.
A pastor once inspired me with a sermon that spoke about life being filled with incredible difficulties and challenges at the same time as being filled with incredible blessing. It is possible and more likely that we will have both most or all of the time.
This helped me with a level of acceptance, that despite having a strong faith in God, life can still be tough, I will still experience losses, death, pandemics, illness, challenging relationships and more.
The biggest difference for me is, I don’t have to go through life alone, without hope, or purpose.
Things I have learned through 2022 or been reminded about.
Life with faith, believing in something bigger than myself, being connected spiritually to my creator and creation itself, is far better than life without.
Life without faith, and I have been there, is like a small boat, alone, being tossed around in a huge ocean with no rudder or anchor, just drifting, being pushed and pulled, ending up wherever.
Life with faith, being in a different boat in the same ocean, but with a few others, a rudder, and an anchor, so when the storms come and tides change, I am equipped with the ability to ride things out, and be heading in some direction that makes internal sense.
Human beings all crave the same thing, purpose, hope, belonging, meaning and connection. No matter what walk of life they are from, when these things are not there, life can be dark, lonely and purposeless.
Hope can be shared, by a small word, gesture, or practical help. I often give to those begging for money on the street, I know this is a contentious subject and everyone seems to have a view on it. For me it is a heart thing, God prompts me to see them as human. Someone's son, daughter, father, mother… family members, something has led them to where they are and it's not my job to judge. God shows me unconditional love and I am required to do the same.
Me giving them money is more about saying “ I see you, I value you, you can do life today”
Because all my years helping street people as a volunteer taught me, through conversations, that if a person doesn’t have hope at the basic level, that basic needs will be met that day, there sure is no way they will be thinking about doing something different and reaching out to get out of their situation, they don’t have the strength if they are in survival mode.
When people are in survival mode, for whatever reason, that is where they are at, helping others is about meeting where they are at. Finding out what they want and need at that moment and doing my best to provide it, by sharing what I have, is all I can do, as well as pray for them.
God is good all the time no matter what, he always answers prayer, it may not look exactly like what I prayed for or thought it should or be in my time, but he always answers.
Throughout 2022, we had many situations that caused us stress, worry and anxiety.
Massive life altering things, like many, too many to list here, but all in the top 4 - 5 stressors in life.
Praying was my only option in many of those situations, most outside my control.
Starting my prayer with gratitude always changes my heart and focus.
God was always there somewhere in the midst, a word from someone else, something showing up in my life to encourage me, provision, doors opening, others closing (we often don't see closed doors as a blessing but they are God's way of protecting and guiding us).
Gratitude is an amazingly powerful tool in all of life situations, even when things seem heavy, dark and hard. Starting to give thanks for the things I do have, just shifts my energy.
Sometimes it's hard to do and I have to start small, like thank you that I woke up today, thank you for the fresh water in my tap, thank you for the food in my fridge, thank you for the clothes on my back.
Reminding myself that many don’t have some or any of those things.
My scripture of the year, is on my phone screen saver!
Philippians 4:6-7
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Looking after my body, mind and spirit pays off, my body is the vessel that carries me through this life, and looking after it is sometimes hard to fit in and be consistent with, but it always pays off.
For the past 2 years I have become part of a community of others who are seeking health and fitness. It's not a ‘gym’ in the regular sense, but a community of people led by a good friend and super talented trainer, who also has a strong faith in God. The benefits of turning up a few times a week to scheduled training sessions, with others who are on a journey in life and faith, are enormous and not something I can even articulate well.
We laugh, we cry, we moan about the heat, we share stories, we give each other stick, we are all there for our own reasons and on our own journeys, but everyone is real, everyone is trying to do better.
I walk as well because connecting in nature has always been super important to me as well, time with God and creation.
Looking for my constants, things I can control, is always a strong way to cope with life's unexpected twists and turns.
My constants and the things I can control
My choice to believe in something greater than myself, God, creation, and that my life was on purpose and that I have a purpose on this earth while I am here.
My choice to be grateful for all I have in any given moment, even grateful when things don’t go my way, because sometimes that is a blessing in disguise
My ability to choose my attitude, my thoughts, what I listen to, what I speak out, who I invest in friendship wise, what I buy into and taken on board
My choices around what I nourish my body with, how I move it, to help it go ‘the distance well’.
How I respond to things that happen ‘to me’ or around me.
There are many things I can’t control in this life, like us all, but by focusing on what I can control, life is better, easier, more joy filled, more hopeful and more purpose filled.
Today I pray for a wonderful Christmas for you all, thank you for sharing this journey with me by reading my blogs and in conversation. May you find joy in the small things, and if you are not seeing those small things, go and look for them.
I pray that 2023 is a year that is filled with love, adventure, good health, joy and fun, amongst life's trials.
May we all gain a better understanding of who God has made us to be, what our own purpose is on this earth, and that we get to know him and his love more this coming year.
If I had to pick a 'song of the year' it would be this one shared with me by a close friend at a time I really needed it, now I listen to it often and it just settles my spirit.
Gratitude by Brandon Lake
Arohanui
Jen
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