The roaring 20’s




It’s hard to believe we are in the 20’s!  In my lifetime, I have lived in 6 decades, 2 centuries, and 2 millennias now.  The fact that this year is my 25th high school reunion is a little mind boggling.  It truly seems as if it has only been about 5!  As this is the season of starting fresh, making changes, becoming a better you, etc...  I have been doing a lot of soul searching.  This last year was really good in some aspects, and then it felt as if all my hopes and dreams came crashing down around me to be shattered at my feet.  I have to admit, this put me in a HUGE tailspin where the last couple of months, I have not been me at all.  But with the help of therapy, lots of praying and delving deep into the Word along with an AMAZING support system, I am finally coming back.  I don’t think I will ever be the same but I have realized that I am stronger than I thought I ever could be.  While these experiences were not something I wished for, they didn’t happen without God knowing it would.  He has shown me that my dreams are not as big as His dreams and while I may not fully understand why it all happened, I do understand that He is always in control. I am also understanding that He created feelings and they are all ok to have.  They don’t make you less of a person because you get stuck in some feelings more than others.

 I have been thinking about all of this and how the world is such a horrible place.  You get on social media and people are fighting about what is right and what is wrong.  There are horrible people on the highways who are selfish and try to ruin your day.  There are mean people at work, who simply try to steal your joy.  There are angry people at the grocery store who become extremely rude and upset over service or whatever.  All this to say, this year, I am choosing encouragement as my weapon of choice.  One of my Christmas gifts this year is a Christian Planner and I have written the name of 31 people this month that I am going to pray for that are in my world.  When I do, I am also going to tell them something I appreciate about them.  I want to change my attitude about it all as I have realized I can’t change theirs.  The horrible people are always going to be there.  What I can change is my reactions and how I treat others.  I don’t want to be a part of the problem by being horrible.  I want to simply be a better person myself.  I can’t change them, but I can change me.  Do I want to be the me who wallows in self-pity and says “Poor Me!”  Or, do I want to be the me who says “it’s not really about me”. 

 So, all that to say, this year, my goal is to spread a little kindness and being nice to people. Each year, I choose a bible verse to memorize and have as my life verse.  This year, it is 1 Thessalonians 5:14-18.  

 We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people. 16 Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing;18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

This year, in growing in my faith and learning to be more like Jesus, I am making an effort to treat people the way that He sees them.  After all, it’s the same way He treats me and I certainly don’t deserve it at all!  

 As this new year is starting to unfold, my prayer is that each of you see yourself as how God sees you:  A beautiful masterpiece.

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