Most people get really excited when January comes along because they can start NEW!
. You can finally start the diet
. You can finally fast from social media
. You can finally leave that relationship in the past
. You can finally start over
Let’s be honest,
I don’t even know why people make “New Years Resolutions” anymore because within a week—it’s over.
You couldn’t do it.
“Oh well, guess I’ll just have to wait till next year!”
Not exactly
On a personal note, the last 6 months of my life have been trying to say the least. I’ve learned a lot within these 6 months, and I’m still learning.
One specific thing I’ve been learning is
God is still working even in the midst of this never-ending storm I’m drowning in.
I may not be a New Years Resolution person, but for the past few years I have been praying for a word of the year
2019: bold
2020: live (kinda ironic, right??)
2021: made new (two words)
This year my word is obedience, and I think this is the first time God has given me a word, and I was like,
“HOLD UP SIR”
What do you mean “obedience”
like, huh??
I never got an answer to my questioning, and I’ve stopped trying to figure it out, and I’m just trying to roll with it instead.
Because the last few months of 2021 felt never ending, I, like the people I described in the beginning was ready for 2021 to go away.
I was ready for things to be normal again—for things to feel normal again.
Spoiler alert: January is here and things in my life that developed at the end of last year are carrying into January.
Surprise!
What I learned from that is, A new year just means that we hit 365 and now we’re counting at 1. It means another month is here.
But a new year doesn’t automatically erase everything.
The problems
The illnesses
The heart-ache
The drama
The confusion
So, I’ve come to this conclusion:
Whether it’s a new year, a new month, a new day…
My life, your life, is just
To be continued….
I want to do better, and maybe this is my word of the year in action, but I want to make a blog post every month.
Just to see what each month will bring…
So, January is—to be continued
Please take this seriously. I was really bummed when I wasn’t able to finish my Bible plan within a year for 2021
LIKE REALLY BUMMED
but God didn’t punish me, and I haven’t stopped reading. I finished 2 Timothy today, and I’ll start Titus tomorrow:
I will get to the end of Revelations
But in HIS TIMING, not mine.
I know a lot of people are going through a lot of things, but no matter how much we go through life CONTINUES on, and it will continue until God decided your time on earth is done.
For some reason, my devotional has been having me read the same page and same verse for two days now.
I don’t think that’s a coincidence
The verse is Luke 22: 39-48:
“Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”
I really love this passage for many reasons, but this is when Jesus goes to the mountain of olives to pray the day before He is to be crucified. He asks God like please take this from me. However, there is a BUT because He knew God’s will was best—even if it meant suffering the worst death in all of humanity.
Let’s read a little more because when Jesus finishes praying He finds His disciples asleep. Now in other versions of this story, in other parts of the Bible it talks about how God asked the disciples to stay with Him. He was depressed, he was anxious, and He didn’t want to be alone, but His friends went to sleep instead.
I’m no Bible scholar but the last line of that verse has been hitting me different lately.
“Get up and pray that you will not fall into temptation.”
I realize this is out of context BUT I heard this quote recently that said,
“You can have fun, even if life is hard.”
No matter what you’re currently facing, your life is still going…
whether you have COVID and are quarantined.
Whether you’re so anxious about school or your job
A diagnosis
Whatever your currently facing put it in the blank.
Life may suck right now, but your heart is still beating, which means God still has work for you to do.
Don’t stop just because of 1 or multiple crisis.
The truth is—you can’t!
Because even if your sleeping the day away your story is still being written.
So, stop waiting for the storm to pass or praying for a way out.
Because guess what?
There will always be another one.
Jump one hurdle and you land on your feet.
The chapter ends with the words:
“To Be Continued…”
I pray this encourages you.
Wherever you’re at
Whatever you’re dealing with
KEEP GOING
To Be Continued….
your friend,
Lauren
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