Remembering His Goodness

As I reflect on what 2021 has been, all I see is the Lord’s faithfulness. I look back and recognize all the not-so-great things, the changed plans (about eighty-seven times), the heartbreak, the confusion, the pain, the hurt. I see times when I sat on my bedroom floor just crying out for answers that I wanted from God. The midnight tears in the dark when no one could see or hear me. The hard goodbyes, to high school, to all the plans I had made for myself, to people I love in three different countries. This year held a lot of darkness for me. But when I look back, the light of this year far outshines every dark moment.

I hear the laughter of my friends; different scenarios (Applebees, playing pterodactyl, Josh cracking his head off the ceiling, Nick being attacked by beetles) but the same type of deep belly laugh that feels like a workout.

I see the sweetest smiles from every person I love in the U.S., Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica; the kind of smile that in itself you cannot doubt the amount of love and care they have for you.

I feel the joy of being wrapped up in hugs; celebratory hugs from classmates and teachers at graduation, group hugs from the people I lived in Central America with for three months, welcome-home hugs from my family and friends.

Even as I sit here and type this, I have a job that I love, I’ve been accepted to a college I really want to go to, I have opportunities arising to serve in different places, I have people all around me who love me. Praise God. I didn’t think I would be here. I never ever imagined this year would turn out the way it did. But sometimes I think that’s the way God likes to work. He likes to take our expectations and surpass them, not just a little, but as much as possible (Ephesians 3:20).

So maybe this blog post is just a shoutout to Jesus for being so dang good and for loving me even though I don’t deserve it. But I also hope it can encourage you. If you look back throughout this year, I’m sure you can remember a time when the Lord was good, praise Him for it! But maybe right now that hurts too much because this year was hard, that’s ok. Just know that He will come through. He will be faithful, it’s literally who He is (1 Corinthians 1:9), which means for Him not to be faithful would mean for him to stop being God. 

* Jesus is good. All the time. As the new year approaches, let’s be people who stack stones of remembrance for what God has done and praise Him for it. And people who wait on Him expectantly, choosing to see Him in every little thing. *

So take a hold of the hand that He is reaching out to you, and let Him walk you through 2022.