2021 Reflections
2022 is finally here, although, it feels like a long division problem where we are all carrying over the remnants of 2021.
I almost didn’t do a new years reflection because at this point I didn’t want to jinx the new year but Omicron showed up strong, our family got stuck in a once in a lifetime snow storm for Christmas in Lake Tahoe, and my face broke out into a crazy rash that left scarring from my Moderna booster (praise God for dermatologist, concealer and special creams that heal). At this point there is not much I can do to jinx this new year.
I’ve learned through my 30 years of life to not do new year’s resolutions, I always set myself up for failure by making unrealistic goals, you know the ones I’m talking about,
Lose 10 pounds in 2 months
Run a marathon
Give up sugar for a year
Instead of resolutions, I have found that reflecting on the past better prepares me to set and achieve goals for my future. A few years ago I started asking myself a set of questions and this year I expanded them.
What is in my hands? (For me this is an identity question, how am I showing up in each space of my life, friend, sister, employee, volunteer, etc. What am I doing? Where is my time going?)
What can I let go of? (This one was easy for me to answer, what are things no longer need to be doing or carrying into the next season, unnecessary projects, places I insert myself, specific feelings like jealousy, inferiority, sins)
What will be hard for me to let go of? (This one was hard, sometimes you have to let go of good things to make room for better things, or even to make room for nothing but His Presence, Sometimes that means letting go of relationships, friendships, career opportunities…)
What do I need to hold on to? What are the things that are necessary for where God is calling me?
What do I want to hold on to? What are the things I strongly desire but are not essential.
Is there room in my life for God to move? (what am I holding that would prevent His movement? Would I notice his movement or am I so full that I am unaware?)
What percentage of my capacity is full (or empty)? (I actually wrote my percentage, how full I feel and what that means for my life, how it affects the areas I want to show up well in)
Because of all that is in my hands, where am I failing? (this was another hard one, really sitting in a space where I was honest with myself before the Lord. This could be failing myself, failing other important relationships or opportunities)
What do I feel the Lord calling me to in this next season? (What has He been speaking to me specifically in this season that I need to carry with me into the next?)
Can I walk into this year committing to hold EVERYTHING with open hands? (And finally, after all of this reflection, is this a commitment I can make? Or are there things in my hands I am not willing to let go of and put into His?)
You may do something similar or start your year off in a completely different way. My hope in sharing this, is that you would take the time to set yourself up well for this year, whether that is creating resolutions and goals you know you can stick to, or reflecting on the past to help inform your future.
- Randa M. Hinton