Wow! Did 2023 really go by that fast, or is it just me? I feel like I blinked and it was over. I think I’m still processing some of the events that transpired last year. It’s almost as if my brain is playing catch up and refuses to recognized that Christmas came and went and we’re in a whole new year! Regardless if 2023 went by in spurts and glances or as slow as a snail, for some, it was a tough year. I am reminded of a verse from the book of Isaiah. “Behold, I am doing a new thing, now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:19.
This verse brings me hope and comfort that this year will be a year of new things. A year where if I pay attention, open my heart to God, and pray with gratefulness, that I will see God move all around me. Maybe you experienced tragedy, loss, or other hardships last year and you barely held on. Perhaps you couldn’t see the point of your heartbreak or suffering, but let me tell you, there is a purpose. There is growth that happens in pain. There are lessons to be learned from the mistakes we’ve made. But regardless of the past hard break, it’s a new year and a chance to recreate yourself, start new goals, and dream new dreams.
I know it’s not easy and I know that things may seem impossible, but I believe in you. I believe with every fiber of my being that 2024 is going to be a great year! Not just for me, but for all of those who have been through the ringer the last couple years. God is on the move. He is working in ways you cannot even imagine. So chin up buttercup, you’re going to make it. You’re going to thrive this year, but you got to do your part while God does his. You gotta pull yourself up out of that pit you’re stuck in and make the choice to begin. To start again. When I was battling depression a while back, I read somewhere “Do the next thing.” And that just clicked in my head.
You woke up and pulled yourself out of bed, that’s GREAT! Now do the next thing. Take a shower. Brush your teeth. One thing at a time. One foot in front of the other. You don’t have to conquer the world all at once. You just have to do the next thing. Right now, you just have to choose to begin. So Happy New Year to you my friend! I can’t wait to see the things you do!
And remember, even when you forget to walk with Jesus, He is always walking alongside you!
With love – Ana
marriedwithachanceofhails 