Lessons of 2017

Lessons of 2017 ~

What have I learned? What will I take into 2018 with me? What will I leave behind in 2017?

I have learned that God is good all of the time and that God’s Grace is sufficient. I have learned that if I stop and listen to all the things around me and to that silent voice inside me that speaks to me only in a whisper and truly pay attention to that whisper, I will continue to move forward each day accomplishing what I have set out to accomplish and not merely existing.

Each experience given to us, the good and the not so good, are there for a reason. Not just something to talk about because quite honestly no one truly cares. Some do, not all. And those who do, those are your people. The others are just gathering bits and pieces to use against you for the betterment of themselves at some point in time.

I always use the term ~ Know That I Know. And what is quite interesting at times is that the situations that have left me puzzled usually have a way of showing themselves to me by connecting the dots if you will. It may take some time, but they normally do. And when they do, I sit back and say ~ aaahhhh now that all makes sense. And when that last dot is connected, have I learned from the experience and do I chose to move forward knowing better or going back and wondering why things always end the same.

This year I have learned that I am stronger than I ever thought. I have seen the workings of God. I have watched God’s goodness. I have seen God’s Grace. I have loved and I have lost. I haven’t lost my Dad. I know where he is and I know that one day we will be reunited and we will spend eternity together and that a promise is a promise. I have witnessed God guide and direct our footsteps. I have watched people be placed in our path to direct the journey in which He wanted us to travel. I have witnessed peace beyond all understanding. I am a child of the Most High God and that He reigns over my life and that of my family.

I have also learned that I am not always going to be someone’s cup of tea. Have you read that excerpt? If not, here it is.

My people are my tribe. My people are faithful. My people are trustworthy. My people are my inner most circle. My circle has many rings. My circle closest to me is very small and very tight. When I let you in, you are in. When someone is moved from within the smallest of my circle, then you know that I know. Once my trust has been betrayed, it is very hard to earn that back if ever. I have forgiven. I have not forgotten.

In 2018, I will move forward with grace and knowledge of where I have been and where I intend to go. My past experiences in the 46 years of my life will help lead the way to a year of goals and extended learning.

What I am leaving behind ~ hurt feelings and the people who have caused them. What I am taking from that are the experiences I have learned from the hurt feelings and the people from which it came. I am leaving behind the fact that I cannot and will not make people like me nor make them believe that my intentions are good. I never set out to hurt someone or make a person feel less than what they are to me. If you are in my life, it is because I have allowed you in and welcomed you. If I release you, it is because I have learned that by allowing you in my life and the lives of those I love and cherish that most likely your intentions were not as pure as you proclaimed them to be from the beginning. Live and learn but most definitely learn from your experiences. I am not perfect nor do I claim to be. However, I am loyal. Once you betray me, that hug will turn into a handshake or a nod because I will no longer allow you close enough to put that knife in my back. And know that if someone is more than willing to talk to you about someone, you can guarantee they too are talking about you and more than likely it is to the person in which they were just discussing to you. This, I have learned.

My prayer for you is that 2018 is a year of abundance, love, faith and happiness.