2023 Truths
Well, there are 2 days left of 2023. I’m sure I am not the only one who has been thinking back on this year. Truth is, in the last month I have caught myself complaining about how hard this year was. The words “I’m so over 2023, and next year has seriously got to be better” has been said.
However, as I looked back at the highlights from this year, I found myself asking God to forgive me for complaining. Each picture I found from this year reminded me that despite the hard things, God has had His Hand in it all along. It has made me realize that rather than going into next year with walls up, I should go into the new year with expectation that no matter what it holds, no matter how many hard things I go through, God’s got it.
The year started with a trip I’ve wanted to take for a long time. We got to spend a week in the mountains with family and made memories to last a lifetime. Getting to experience snow in the mountains, the views from Skyland Ranch, and Ripley’s Aquarium with our son was so special! Not to mention we got coffee and the best double chocolate muffin from a coffee shop near our cabin almost every day. If you know us, finding good coffee when we are traveling is one of our favorite things!
In the spring, my husband and I decided to take some needed time away and drove to Kentucky. The weekend started with a problem with our hotel and learning that where we chose to stay was in a small town that had nothing opened past 8. The nice thing about plans changing is sometimes you make memories by making the best of a situation. That’s exactly what we did!
The next morning, we drove to Patti/’s Settlement. We ended up catching a dog parade, checked out a bunch of little shops, and ate some real good food! It was the first time we got out of our comfort zone and tried somewhere new and while we probably won’t go back, it was a fun experience and little getaway!
In April, mom and dad flew Luke and I to Florida for a week. Flying with a one-year-old wasn’t easy, but the trip was memorable. While my son won’t remember the trip to Sea World or the Alligator Farm or even playing on the beach, I will. He loves flying and he loved all the animals in Sea World! More than that he loved living it up at Gigi and Pop’s house!
We took a vacation with my husband’s family to Perdido Key in September. Taking a two-year-old to the beach is the coolest thing. It sounds silly, but being a mom and watching your toddler take on new adventures is so special. When he and I traveled in April he wasn’t too sure about the beach. He loved playing in puddles but not the waves. When we were in Perdido Key we couldn’t take our eyes off him because he would run right into the water! The most special thing about this trip was the time he got with his great grandparents. He’s so blessed to have so many grandparents and great grandparents, even if he is too young to realize that now.
I am going to be real… I had a miscarriage in July and was still healing. The trip to Perdido Key with family was what my heart needed at that time. God knew that. I left with more peace than I had arrived with. 3 months later I experienced another miscarriage. Much earlier than the first, but a miscarriage none the less. You see, I had come home feeling whole again and healed. I wasn’t ready for another one 3 months after the first. However, I had a strength during the second miscarriage that I didn’t have the first time around. A supernatural strength that can only come from God alone. I don’t believe it was a coincidence that I was experiencing it at a church rally. It’s not easy to worship through your pain but I promise you that when you turn your pain into praise God notices. All that to say, God didn’t promise that life would be easy, but He promised never to leave us or forsake us, and He keeps His Word!
The last part of the year was full of a lot of changes. My baby turned two, my husband traveled to Mexico for work for a week, we lost a few family members, had family members get some news about their health, and I had an episode that ended with me in the ER. Despite all those hard things, before any of that we had a year of memories that were made and life that was lived and God has never ceased to provide for us. Not to mention in the middle of all the hard, we had financial blessings, my nephew was born, and we got to see my parents more than most years since they moved to Florida.
If you are sitting and thinking about how hard this year was, I want to encourage you to go through your pictures or sit down and think about - maybe even write down - all the things that were good this year. Chances are the good outweighs the bad. What are your highlights? What hard things gave you new perspective? What blessings came out of the hard stuff? Let’s go into the new year with expectations for God to do amazing things. While we are at it, let’s ask God to use us in 2024. I promise it’s something we won’t regret. We can do it together.
I’m rooting for you, friend.
Happy New Year!
