My Word for 2016

It's gone. 

My hardest year yet, gone.

I am beyond excited for a new year. I am feeling refreshed and joyful and I love it! Realistically though, I know that some of the same struggles will come with me as I am still working through and allowing God to help me clear out the mess of 2015. 

2015 was a rollercoaster for me. It was paired with the lowest of lows and the highest of highs. I experienced depression and hopelessness but I also regained my connection with the Lord. I struggled with addiction but I also learned how to be fulfilled in Christ again. I, at times, became trapped in negativity but I also removed so many stones on my heart as I fought through. My road to freedom began and I have dropped so much unnecessary weight and I have picked up so many tools to help me continue to overcome.

There's no doubt that I was hard on myself in 2015. I shamed and blamed myself for all that I was going through. I held myself to extremely high standards and I fell hard. Although I am walking into a new year and some things are still holding on to me for dear life in hopes that they can still take me out as they originally planned, I am no longer going to be hard on myself. I am just a mother, wife, friend, and many other things to the people I adore and I go through things like everyone else. I am not too big nor too small for any conflict or blessing. I am glad to see 2015 go but like I said, just because the year has changed doesn't always mean our stressors are gone too. So if I can't always immediately change the stressors I can change the way I respond to them. So I have decided that I am going into this year rejoicing.

That's right, I am walking into this year REJOICING. 

This is my word for 2016, inspired through the scripture 1 Peter 4:12-19.

"Dear friend, so not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name."

Last year I was surely surprised. Looking back now I can see how I walked into the year in denial. I never imagined myself going through such a hard time. But in 2016 I refuse to be surprised. even now, I am sitting at my mother in law's house, on her birthday, getting ready to spend the day cleaning out Nic's Nanny's apartment and prepare for her funeral tomorrow. It's sad and it's hard but I am taking these scriptures and I am continuing into this year and I am rejoicing. Though unexpected hard times will arise, I will rejoice.Though some days I will struggle, I will rejoice. Though I still get insecure about falling short, I will rejoice.  Although in 2015 I despised what I was walking through, I am changing the way I look at it. I will rejoice in the face of my struggles this year, the new and the old. 

I will rejoice because my God is good and He is painting the picture of my life for His glory and I am okay with that. He is equipping me to walk through life with all of you and to be able to be an encouragement to HIs sons and daughters. In the past I have seen being a "living sacrifice" as a burden but just like these scriptures say when we participate in hard times while following Christ we will experience being overjoyed and blessed by His glory. I have to trust that the Lord is working things for my good. I will not go through hard times for the sake of abuse but for the sake of glory. And when I reach the place where God's glory shines it will be and always has been greater than the suffering. 

The opposite of rejoicing is grieving, so I can see that what keeps me absent of joy is my grief. To be grieved by the struggles in my life is to allow them to trouble me. When I see this comparison I realize I have two choices I can wake up sad that I don't have a perfect life or I can wake up rejoicing for all that God has done and is doing in my life despite the imperfections. And I see now that if I can wake up everyday and not think to myself "man this is hard" but think to myself "man my God is good" I will open the doors for my healing to go even deeper. Instead of fighting for joy I am believing that in 2016 it will be natural. I will wake up rejoicing.

What is your word for 2016? What do you want to change and hold on to for this next season in your life. It may be the word "peace", it may be "recovery", it may be "deeper", it can be whatever word you chose. But we can not travel in the right way without directions. Define your direction this year. I personally can't wait to see where rejoicing will bring me. 

Happy New Year!I truly believe it is going to be a great one!