2012.
In this past year, I have known more heartache, fear, joy, and love than I could have ever fathomed. I have experienced hurt that I never wanted but certainly will never regret. I have faced rejection over and over again and, as a result, I have found security in my Lord who will never forsake me. I've been really, really stupid, but I am amazed at how much God loves me anyway. I went through a lot of scary changes and more are in my near future, but time and time again this year it was proven that God knows what is best for me and that He is constant and omnipotent. This blog post is a challenge to write because so much has happened that I feel like I could dedicate an entire post to each month. The truth, though, is that this year and all those before it can be summed up in four words: My God never fails.
The biggest lessons I've learned...
- The Lord provides. As my relationship with God has become more intimate and I have come to know Him more, I have seen so many ways in which He has provided for me and for others. Once I stopped taking things for granted and realized God's hand in everything, I became so much more aware of His provision and I am truly in awe. My faith has grown immensely this year, and my prayers are so much more passionate than before. There is nothing my God cannot do.
- I am loved in every way. I have already written a post about the ardent love that God has for His followers, which I realized more fully about a month ago. I am still amazed at how He loves me and I will be basking in this Love for all of eternity. This Love has instilled a joy and confidence in me that I never knew before. He fills every hole in my heart and clothes me in strength and dignity.
- Thou shalt not covet. At the beginning of this year, I struggled more than I care to admit with that ugly monster called envy. It was not the material possessions of others that I would envy so much as the talents, personalities, and appearances. God has helped me so much to work through that, and I have found that He has a lot of joy waiting for me when I turn from what I covet and am truly thankful for what He has given me instead. He has blessed me so much!
- God loves passion. As followers of Christ, we are to seek the Lord's help to emulate Him in every way. And who is more passionate than God? Absolutely no one. He created passion, and He is passionate in everything that He does. I am extremely passionate about music, and I used to struggle with feelings of guilt that I was spending too much time practicing my instruments. I was convinced that I needed to be spending that time doing other things like volunteering and studying the Bible. It is true that both of those things are important, but it is also so important that I take the gift that God has given me for music and use it to bring glory to Him. He loves that I am so passionate about that gift! It was about the time that I realized that that I changed my major to music and pursued it with a brand new excitement. God loves passion.
My new year's resolutions...
- Eat healthy and exercise. Listen, it's a cliche for a reason.
- Spend less, save more, give whenever He bids. Prudence will be a lesson of 2013.
- Be a Proverbs 31 woman. Never lose sight of the fact that I am clothed in strength and dignity.
- Bring glory to God by becoming the very best musician that I can be. He gave me this gift with a purpose.
- Be kind-hearted and encouraging to all those around me. My God is love.
- Pursue God passionately.
- Glorify God in all that I do. My actions, my words, my thoughts, my relationships with Him and with others. That is my purpose, the very reason that I am here.
Of course, a lot of things happened this year that I have not included in this blog post, for reasons either that they were too personal or not really relevant to the point I'm trying to make. My point is this: Even though a lot of what happened this year could have easily pulled me away from God, somehow it didn't. I have been pursued by God in the most beautiful way this year. It is truly awesome to be known by God.
I am really excited for what 2013 holds. I will be spending the first four days of the year at the Georgia Dome for Passion 2013, and I can't think of a better way to start the year. I will then begin what promises to be the busiest semester yet. In March, I will audition for the music education program at the school that I will be transferring to in the fall, and I'm already extremely nervous and excited. Come August, I will be living on my own for the first time in my life. Yes, 2013 is going to be full of change, but my God is constant.
My God never fails.
"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart;
yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end."
Ecclesiastes 3:11
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