Life Lessons Learned From 2019

January 04, 2020

In year's past, I've finished out the year with a blog post detailing life lessons learned over the course of the year. I figured I would do the same for 2019. It's hard to believe it's a new decade, too. A decade that began with me a freshman in high school finished with me coming up on 3 years in Houston. And as I typed that last sentence, it just occurred to me that I might have spent more of the decade in Texas than in Virginia, which completely blows my mind. Nonetheless, here are 2019's Life Lessons:

For everything to go right, sometimes everything has to first go wrong: A few days ago, I saw a post on social media for those that had a rough year. It's wish was that the tears of this past year would water the seeds for the upcoming year. Going in to 2019, I was coming off of a tough year and really wanted 2019 to be an improvement. As I've reflected on this year, I'm thankful to say that 2019 really was a good year for me. Over the course of this year though, it hit me that the pains of 2018 were what ultimately enabled the joys of 2019.

Sometimes in life, everything has to go wrong before everything can go right. Is this a painful life lesson to learn? Absolutely. It's hard to enjoy nothing going according to our plans or happening on our timeline. Experiencing pain, frustration, heartbreak, and disappointment aren't exactly fun, either. However, I have found that those experiences did help equip me for trials and challenges that I faced this year. It's how weaknesses can become strengths. I also realized that I wouldn't truly enjoy the blessings that I have in my life if everything worked out the first time. I wouldn't have the same heart of gratitude or thankfulness because I wouldn't know how difficult life's challenges can be.

The plan and path that God has for us is a whole lot different than the plan and path we want God to have for us. It's really hard to trust in God's plan when everything's going wrong. What we have to realize though is that God's plan for us is so much bigger and grander for us than a single moment of hurt or disappointment. Things not working out now may be God's way protecting us from future hurt and disappointment. While I wouldn't have chosen some of the paths I've endured to get to where I am today, I thank God that He's brought me to where I am today. And if the only way to get there meant everything falling apart first, I can take heart in that.
Don't be afraid to make a change: Change was a common theme for me this year. New apartment, new opportunities, new friends, and new adventures. There were multiple times this year where I was on the precipice of change and started to second-guess myself. Was I really making the right decision? After all, change can be really hard. It's a lot easier to keep the status quo than it is to shake things up.

For as change can be, I found this year that I ultimately grew from each change, more so than I ever would have if I had kept the status quo. One thing that helped me get over the change hump was that I would regret not making a change more than I would regret making a change. I can't imagine how different my life would be today if I hadn't made the changes that I did make this year. While change comes with its share of growing pains, those are nothing compared to the growth that comes as time goes on.
Audience of One: There are inevitably times where we grow weary, weak, and/or discouraged with all that we're doing. At best, we may feel that what we're doing is going unnoticed or is being done in vain. At worst, we fear that the work we're doing is making things worse and we're better off giving up or getting out of the way. It can admittedly be hard to gauge if people are noticing or if our work is helping. Still, one calm assurance that we can have in the times we grow weary or feel discouraged is remembering who our audience ultimately is: God.

We may not know if others see our work, but God does see us in all that we do -- good and bad. And we can take heart in knowing that if we are giving our all and serving Him faithfully, He is proud of us. At the end day, what matters is not what the world thinks of us, but what God thinks of us. When we realize that God is our only audience, the pressure to perform for others goes away and puts us more at ease. I've got a long way to go with this life lesson, but I can take heart in knowing who my audience ultimately is.
Good Enough through Christ: This past spring, I wrote a post saying that the final step is believing that one's good enough through Jesus Christ. When I think about the lows of 2019, a lot of the lows came in the form of past struggles resurfacing and having to confront them. A lot of struggles had a common denominator: the fear that I'm not good enough. The truth is, I'm not good enough. Not on my own, that is. No one's good enough on one's own. Paul addressed that to the Romans (Romans 3:10). We're only good enough through our faith in Jesus Christ.

Taking this final step hasn't always been easy for me. It's meant letting go of preconceived notions, getting out of my head, and reminding myself that I don't need to perform or pretend. All I need to do is be myself and put my trust and faith in Christ. And that's where I've started to find freedom.

Well, that about sums up 2019 for you. Well, minus all of the obscure Oreo flavors, that is. I'll forever be thankful to God for all of the life lessons learned in 2019. I'm excited about what God has in store for me for 2020 and the life lessons that I'll learn this year. There will inevitably be highs, lows, and a few surprises mixed in, too. And I wouldn't want it any other way. Here's to a good year...and for many more to come. Happy New Year!