If you are like me, you are wondering where 2019 went but also simultaneously glad it is over. For those that follow me over on Instagram, where I’ve been sharing most things as of late, you know that 2019 was challenging to say the least and I learned so much about myself, my husband, my marriage and my community. So with that, let’s all say it together….
WELCOME 2020!
Each year, I choose a word that seems to grab my attention when I hear it and this year is certainly no different. Starting fairly early in the year, I heard this word and it has continually kept coming back to my attention through a variety of pathways. It was this fall that I was listening to a podcast by my favorite photography mentors where they talked about alignment in our lives (I’m pretty sure it is Episode 4 but they mention it in a couple others too). (If you are looking for a podcast that talks about real life, I highly recommend you check it out and it is not about photography.)
Webster Dictionary defines |align| as: (v.) to be in or come into precise adjustment or correct relative position; to get or fall into line.
This seems relatively simple because, after all, people have been telling us since our early school days to stay in line, right? Well, not so simple when you are continually thrown curve balls that bring you one direction or another. For me, that has looked like job loss, marriage, a house fire, friendship building, faith struggles, miscarriages, infertility, depression, anxiety, and so much more. What does that look like for you?
Each time a huge life event happens, it throws you off course…whether it is a positive change or a tragedy. The hardest part is acknowledging it, grieving (if needed) then seeking God’s help to right the ship. Our every day lives, politics, drama in the neighborhood, etc make it nearly impossible for us to find our feet day after day. I believe that the only way we can find our feet and a solid foundation is by staying connected to our Heavenly Father. This can be done through prayer, worship, communing with other believers daily, and spending time learning about God the way we do with anything we want to learn about. When we are in alignment with God, we can hear those small whispers or feel the nudges from the Holy Spirit when He wants us to do something.
While 2019 seemed to bring me closer to Christ than I had been previously, I desire to continue to seek God and His Will for my life. For me, that will look like trying to spend time with God or praying before I get started on my to-do list for the day. I’ve never been a morning person and I’m certainly fortunate enough to have a more flexible schedule than most, I still struggle to “find time for God” between my household responsibilities, marriage, two businesses and other things I need to give my time to.
I encourage you to take the first step of just spending time with God. There is no one formula that works for every person so whether you do it in the morning before the kid(s) rise and you get ready for work, you use your lunch break to nourish your relationship with Jesus and your body or you want to spend your sweet time with Jesus just before you go to bed to calm your nerves from what they day held, just do it. Send a quick prayer of gratitude that you have clothes to fold when you are folding laundry (I need to do this with dishes…ugh) or ask God to show you how to serve your spouse as you drive to work instead of choosing some less-than-kind words for the driver that just cut you off in traffic. All it takes is 10 seconds to start…you can definitely find 10 seconds…you sure found 10 minutes to spend scrolling Facebook or Instagram which is likely where you came across this blog post.
Through starting with Jesus, I anticipate I will see a ripple effect on other areas of my life and while those are the ones, if I’m being honest, I’m more “looking forward to”, I know that Jesus is more important and I’m going to push through to grow my faith first despite the earthly desires my mind often starts with instead.
What would being in alignment look like for you?
Do you choose one word each year? If so, what is yours for 2020?
My prayer is that you can spend time giving your struggles over to God and that you would give yourself grace as you learn to align with Jesus.
Held Together By Grace 