Q1 Review
If you are reading this, you made it. If you are reading this, you made it through. You made it through. For some it was frantic, others it was painful- but YOU MADE IT THROUGH! I thank God, I thank Jesus, I thank the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 13:14 says: “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” They were all involved in your existence- I hope that you remember the completeness of God as you’ve finished this quarter. They partnered with each other to create you, so as your life continues may you acknowledge them in all your ways.
Inherent with the future is the aspect of newness. Tomorrow is untouched- it’s yet to be seen or experienced. By default when we speak of the future we think of the new, things we’ve yet to do, things that are to come. Yet sometimes when we speak of the ‘new’ it can feel outdated or common, almost as if we’ve experienced it before. For the rest of 2022 I believe our perspective of the new will not be as such. Something we have yet to see before may happen. The interesting thing is that preparation for this is limited- you can’t simulate it, it sometimes can’t be explained before its appearance. The only way to position yourself for this is to create space, remain flexible and open to new possibilities, and to be free. As we approach the summer period with the year well underway, let’s stay expectant of the uncommon, positioned and ready to capitalise on new opportunities. It's worth noting that the most fertile times are often accompanied by periods of friction and intensity. Change is hardly a comfortable process, especially paradigm shifts. They can be swift or elongated, yet they always require endurance to see the process through.
Over these first 3 months, I was forced to learn about joy, peace, and patience. I learnt that you cannot be assured of your joy unless you’re confronted with an uncomfortable or painful situation. I thought I was a joyful person until I saw what life looked like when my hope wavered. I also thought I was very patient- someone who could wait without becoming annoyed or anxious, but I was extremely mistaken. I mentioned to my friend once that I was beginning to wonder whether I could still be viewed as a flexible person, yet she replied “who ever thought you were?”. Perhaps I should play that game where you highlight the characteristics you think embodies you and compare the answers with what others perceive. I wonder if there’ll be a discrepancy between the two. I say this all to emphasise the nature of 2022 so far. It has revealed unknown parts of my personality and exposed the leaky foundations in my character, yet I can’t say it hasn’t been a successful quarter. I attempted many new things; failed in some, but learnt in all. I was hard-pressed on every side but I survived, not from my own strength, for I saw the shortcomings of willpower without support, but from the strength of God.
To conclude, the next 9 months will provide a platform for further growth and discovery. We just keep at it, day by day, step by step.
To another quarter; tsl.