Now what?

Every year we experience this no-man’s land in time between Christmas and the New Year. We have months of build up to the holidays with shopping, parties, lights, and family time, and in one glorious day the wrapping paper gets shredded, Christmas dinner gets devoured, and when it’s all over we look around and think….now what? It’s how I often feel coming home from a vacation. Reality starts to set back in as all the excitement fades from anticipation into memory, and we can often feel a bit disillusioned like, “Is that it? Is it all over?” This used to be a big struggle for me (I’d be lying if I said I don’t still struggle with this sometimes), but I’ve started to reshape my thinking a bit to find the things I love in these epic moments of life that I can carry forward with me. They aren’t just good memories, but they are formative moments that will help me create the life I want to live, and for me that has been a monumental shift.

A couple years ago we bought a camper van to do some traveling and we had a blast! We drove through several national parks, camped on the beach, laughed a lot and made some great memories. However, I would often find myself sliding into depression when we would get home, always dreading the return to normal, everyday life. The joy of the trip was overshadowed by the darkness of discontentment and always looking for some next adventure to fill the void. This constant ebb and flow left me unable to fully appreciate the past or embrace my future. Being stuck in the middle between memories and dreams robbed me of the joy of here and now. We have since sold the van, but the life lesson from that season has stuck with me and will continue to help me navigate the ups and downs of life.

So, in this season of looking back and looking ahead, back over the last year and forward to the next, we have a beautifully divine opportunity to blend our past and our future into our present reality. We reflect on all the lessons learned, the highs and lows and all the in-betweens, and allow them all to mold us a little bit more into the image we were created in. We carry them like scars on our hearts, as both memories of pain and miracles of healing. Perhaps 2024 didn’t quite go as you hoped it would. Life seems to throw us curveballs sometimes, and quite honestly can knock us on our butts now and then. Or maybe for you the past year was awesome and you wouldn’t change a thing. Either way, we have 365 days worth of experiences to learn from; the good times and bad, the births and deaths, marriages and divorces. We don’t just leave those things in the past, but we learn from them and grow through the experiences to shape a better future. We learn to love more, to be a better friend, and strive for peace. We build a life of patience and kindness and let go of the hatred that divides and tears down.

As you reflect on this past year and look forward to the next, allow yourself to be filled with a mix of gratitude for the past and hope for the future, blended together to live a life full of love, joy, and peace in your present moment. There’s more I want to say regarding new beginnings, but I think I’ll save that for another time. For now, I wish you an amazing 2025. May you discover the beauty of your true identity as one who is loved by your divine creator. May you find healing for the wounds of your heart and discover the depths of love and joy that life has to offer. May you be slow to anger and quick to forgive. May you show kindness and patience to yourself and to others. And next December, may you look back over 2025 and be proud of yourself for not giving up. Peace, love, and all the best to you.