A Year in the Spiritual Life Review

Let's Look Back

This year, with its tragedies and its triumphs has been a year of discovery. I have looked at myself, at the world, and at the Word. I have grown so much. 

This year I have begun teaching young girls about God, I started this blog, I volunteered at my church, I joined the worship team, and I wrote a book. This year I discovered so much about myself and my purpose. I hope I have helped you discover something too. You and I were made for more than the everyday ordinary...we were made to live the extraordinary. 

Our everyday lives: the run to the mall, drop the kids off to school, grocery shopping lives do not stop, but there is more to life than blindly driving from point a to point b. In the in between moments there is opportunity. There are chances to see God in others, to share Jesus with the wounded, and to bring light to the darkness. 

A year ago I was a bitter smoker walking around with a chip on my shoulder. I was unpleasant and thought I was funny, when I was really only cruel and cold. 

Surrendering to God changed all of it. 

I am not perfect...at all! There are days I mess up. Things I still need to let God have. As long as there is breath in me there will be flaws too. But God is faithful to work on us, to love on us, to change and perfect us. Why? He does all this because we are His workmanship. 

Imagine yourself as a lump of clay, waiting for something to happen. As a lump of clay we get rained on, we dry out in the sun, and we sit there....doing nothing, letting life happen to us. Until we get up on the potter's wheel. 

When we put ourselves on the potter's wheel we submit to His molding and making us. It is a trans-formative experience and it is not always comfortable. Yet, somehow, we go from ordinary vessels to extraordinary vessels of honor in the Master Potter's hands. Now, we have a purpose. We have been made for something. The potential was always there, but now we are becoming. In Christ there is fullness of joy, and part of that joy is knowing we have a purpose in this world. 

I know that God has done some extraordinary things this year. Next year is already shaping up to be equally amazing, if not more so. Soon, I will be leaving the states to go on my first missions trip to Guatemala. I will continue to write and I am praying that this year will bring some wonderful adventure. I pray this, because I believe God loves a good story, and my life is just another story written by Him. 

Join the Conversation

How has your life changed in the last year and what are you hoping for in 2013?