When I reflect on my life in 2015, the word that comes immediately to the forefront of my mind is full.
No, not a full stomach, nor a full schedule, not a full pocket, nor a full house—though I was blessed to experience all of those things during the year. The primary fullness I’m talking about is a fullness of heart.
What do I mean? That my year has been full of butterflies and happiness as far as the horizon and back? Not necessarily. Though there was a lot of happiness—and ladybugs were particularly abundant this fall—fullness of heart rests not in my circumstances but in the fullness of Christ’s presence in my life.
This year, my life has been full of uncertainty. It is a time of transition; one of many, many, many transitions that my time on this earth has in store for me. Uncertainty brings with it many challenges, but it has also brought opportunity to be still and know that God is in full control.
I reflect upon the way that God led me to my job. Now I work with amazing people, in a workplace that is teaching me more and more about how many different kinds of people can haul together with all of our imperfections and do great things by remembering that it’s doing small, everyday things that really matter. In 2016, I want to focus more on those little things—the small, random acts of kindness and assistance that are made huge by God’s love.
I reflect on the first year of my marriage and see the great volume of grace that every day is heaped upon me by my amazing husband. The reality is, I am incredibly imperfect. I fall short of every great goal I strive to accomplish—yet I am not incomplete. It is God’s grace that completes me, reminding me that my actions don’t define my value, but rather, it is my inherent value in His eyes that motivates my actions. In 2016, I want to draw from the confidence God gives me to fuel the actions of love I give to my husband and others.
I reflect upon the financial insecurities I’ve had of forging a way for my family as I moved from being a full-time student to being a full-time employee. In giving of my money and time, I’ve been reminded that my resources are not my own. Generosity is a difficult thing for me, but the more I try to hoard, the less I appreciate all of the things I have. When I treat what I have as a gift from God rather than something I’ve earned, it is much more meaningful to give. I’ve been blessed this year by experiencing the abundant generous spirit of my husband, who has made me appreciate the joy of giving out of both scarcity and plenty. In 2016, I want to shift my focus from what I can gain financially and materially to what I can give from what God has given me.
As I look forward to the joys and challenges that 2016 will bring in all areas of my life, I take this moment to thank God for the lessons I have learned and the ones I am still learning.
By and through Jesus’s love, I can set high goals for myself this year without fear of failure. Failure doesn’t make me less valuable to God, because Christ has already paid for my failure. My successes, though, can only add to my ultimate mission in life: to every day love more like Christ, not out of an emptiness or neediness to deserve that love, but out of the fullness of heart that comes from knowing I, like every person He created, am already treasured beyond the measure of this world.
Happy New Year!
