Days that appear both sunny and gloomy tend to impact my mood, and this gorgeous morning was testing the depth of my gratitude. Still, the gloom outside my window wasn’t enough to wane my excitement as I reflected on the past year with immense gratitude.
In 24 hours, I would be turning a new age but I am not quite sure how I got here. When I turned 30, I either stopped counting or lost the skill, because I found myself mixing up my age until a calendar came to the rescue. Today though, I am very clear on my age, because why wouldn’t I be? The past year has been a landmark year. The kind of year that forces a pause. The kind you don’t just pass through… you ceremoniously close.
As I watch the clock, there is only one way I know how to usher in a new year: one hour before midnight, I worship and then speak to my new age. I have kept this consistent for years, only missing it once or twice since I came to know Jesus. Birthdays, for me, are sacred so I get intense and introspective.
This year’s closing session was different. I appreciated pain in a way I never had before. I recognized the depth of patience that had been built in me. I finally understood why gold is so impressive…the furnace.
“Peace that surpasses understanding” was no longer just scripture, it became my reality. I had lived it.
And joy… joy is truly a fruit of the Spirit, not a product of your environment.
If you really take stock of life, it becomes clear very quickly that life is designed to push us beyond ourselves. To force us to reach for a greater power and you see God’s wisdom in that design. Submission is what unlocks the benefit hidden inside unpleasant seasons.
Life is designed to push us beyond ourselves. To force us to reach for a greater power.
Think about it. As you read this, is there truly nothing that bothers you? Nothing you desire? Nothing you’re reaching for? Nothing that quietly weighs on you? If you are completely at peace, I am genuinely happy for you and I pray it remains so. Or maybe… maybe not. Because what if comfort births complacency?
My point is, there is a way to go through difficult seasons without breaking apart.
Glean understanding from your situation
Exercise self-awareness…be honest about how it is affecting you
Seek the face of the Father and receive His word concerning it
And this one is important… do not place the burden of your comfort on people. Give that responsibility to God. He is the God of all comfort for a reason. His comfort is personal, precise, and unmatched. No one does it better. No one can.
Apply yourself daily to His truth until your thoughts align
Receive love from those who genuinely care
Extend love to those you genuinely care about
Live. Be present. Don’t miss your life while navigating this season
Do not place the burden of your comfort on people. Give that responsibility to God.
Seven days before my birthday, I knew I needed to do a low-cost photoshoot. Nothing extravagant. Thankfully, my darling husband knows all my angles, and my phone does a pretty decent job too. That, combined with a beautiful free location (the Architectural Calgary Library), worked magic. (Pictures and videos are on my Instagram linked below) Needless to say my birthday was perfect, everything about this day was perfect but yeah that tends to happen when you have the best spouse.
One last thing…
On the way to the photoshoot (the day before my birthday), I realized midway that I had forgotten my ring, bracelet, and earrings. For a moment, I almost let it unsettle me. Almost. But going back wasn’t an option. Time wouldn’t allow it. So I had a decision to make: Let it ruin the moment or show up as though nothing was missing.
I chose to show up and had the best time. Guess what, no one even noticed anything was missing and even if they did, it didn’t take away from how beautiful the pictures turned out. Maybe that is all we need to go through life. Maybe that is the lesson.
Notice
Assess you options
Make a choice
Show up joyfully
Keep going
Maybe it’s not that deep
