If you’re like me, the new year always brings heavy thoughts on transition — what it looks like, what it feels like, and how to move through it with as much grace as possible. I am not a massive fan of setting resolutions, however, I do appreciate the idea of having a new opportunity, a fresh start, for myself and my goals.
Transition comes with the process of renewal (to make like new: restore to freshness, vigor, or perfection). Often, as humans, it is all too easy to remain in our comfort zone, using typical excuses to procrastinate on tasks we need/want to achieve. Or, we don’t wish to seek renewal, because we are fearful of the outcomes. It’s important to remember that very few breakthroughs come without a few breakdowns along the way. Our personal evolution generates so much brilliance in our life, but can cause some pain and discomfort with it. While our spiritual and emotional shifts do bring us closer to our best selves, they also simultaneously move us away from the space in which we may have been comfortably living before. These transitional periods, although necessary to our growth, have the tendency to leave us feeling incredibly vulnerable. Be gentle with yourself. Moving from where you were to where you are takes some getting used to.
As I write this article, I can’t help but wonder about the trials and hardships which have created me into the person I am today. The most accurate way for us to measure our own growth and renewal is to compare where we are now to our previous self. Even then, be reminded that growth is not always linear. It’s normal to have ‘ups and downs’, and often what seems like a setback in our growth, is actually the unexpected circumstance or phase that needs to happen for us to learn and move into the next phase. I have seen in the past how God can use death, heartbreak, pain and trauma to create something beautiful.
A few months ago, I was seriously struggling with the direction of my life and feeling incomplete within myself and my relationships. Graduating from Year 12, learning new life lessons, figuring out how to balance between my heart and my mind, and serving in Cambodia has showed me exactly where I need to be.
I am beyond grateful for the ability to write and share my random musings with people all over the world, for my family that continues to support my wild ideas and trust in who I am becoming, and for my best friends that love me unconditionally.
Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits — who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Psalm 103:1-5
There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind. Here’s to 2019 being full of uncertainty, risks, renewal and constant journey.
AUTHOR: Margaret Graham
BLOG: https://dailymargo.blogspot.com