It’s now the year 2023, Happy New Year’s everyone! The year 2022 was an eventful one for many; I can personally attest to that. We all probably suffered something or another, and on the last day of 2022 probably said something along the lines of, “I didn’t know I could make it through something like that.” How do you think we all made it through you might ask? Whatever thorn, issue, backslide, or unwanted circumstance we all may have suffered through, today on the clean slate that 2023 presents to us all, we all can say, “God did or God provided.” This is the answer that rightfully fits all of our, “How did we make it?” statements that we all ponder on the eve of every new year.
Recently, my therapist asked me who I see God as? Growing up, I saw God as someone my mom always talked about, someone I couldn’t see. When I got older, I saw him as a rule-maker. But as I matured in my faith walk and after 2022, I can truthfully say, “I see God as Santa Claus.” Why Santa Claus you might ask? Because just like all the Christmas movies we grew up watching, it was always Santa helping the lowly, down-on-their-luck kid in the most unfathomable situations where you couldn’t see a way out or solution in sight. But just like every Christmas fairytale the kid needed to have “childlike faith” (Matthew 18:1-5 ESV) and belief in Santa no matter how the situation looked or what others or the world said to try and make him not believe. And that down on their luck child (us) had to dig deep, have faith in Santa (God) for his assistance, and remain in him. And just like clockwork, Santa resolved the issue, came through in the clutch and acted on that child’s (our) faith. He instilled confidence and hope within that child (us) to hold on and believe continually in him. That’s what God does and has done for each one of us in some way or another. My Santa Claus analogy reminded me of John 15:2-7 (NLT), importantly verse 4:
“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.”
In 2022, just like many of you possibly might have in some way, I experienced anxiety, stress, sleepless nights, work and family issues, financial woes, and health issues that had me questioning if God saw me or if He could even heal me. But at the start of this new year, I have some battle scars from 2022, still some health concerns, but confidence in God’s track record in solving and providing for my needs.
God provided unfathomable financial blessings for all of my school-related needs, provided peace to many of the moments that left me anxious and worrisome, and followed through on promises that he made personally to me that left me in awe. Most importantly, God touched the heart of man. He touched people to be a blessing to me and He made me be a blessing to people who in a million lifetimes I would have never thought would ask or want to know about God. However, God works in mysterious ways, as Isaiah 55:8-9 (KJV) reminds us:
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
In the waiting room of God providing and creating those provisions for all the blessings He bestowed upon me in 2022, I was constantly anxious and worried, repeating “why me?” when another inconvenience occurred. But in those moments I had to dig deep and act on faith and believe in someone (God) greater than myself. It was hard, but Jesus reminds us His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11:29-30 KJV). The burdens I kept carrying on my own drove me mad and led me to some dark places mentally. My circumstances led me many times to want to give up, and stop running my race, but God lifted me through the finish line of 2022, just like He did many of you as well. So we all can continue to put our hope and trust in God and be anxious for nothing.
I won’t sit here and say life was easy or sweet by no means in the year 2022, but I can say we all made it through, and we’re stronger and better for it. Because God was the one creating and orchestrating provisions for me and for you to walk through whatever storm we may have encountered. Life will be filled with pretty rainbows and sunshine, however, we will have rainy and dark days. But I can say and hope we will have one hell of a story to tell if we remain in God and He in us.
