As the year comes to an end, I can’t help but look back and see how God changed me.
2011 was a huge year of growth for me. Below are just a few of the highlights that acted as a catalyst in that change.
At the end of 2010 I got involved volunteering at my church. I found a team that pushed me out of my box, but also fit my talents perfectly. I grew where I was planted. I sought God in ways I hadn’t, and as I saw life change in those around me, I began seeking it for myself. I wasn’t comfortable being a ‘Sunday Christian’ any more.
In the spring of 2011, I heard a message from Andy Stanley. It was under the name of New Rules for Love Sex and Dating, but it was more like New Rules for Life Change for me. In it, Andy challenged the audience to one year of no dating, and told the story of a girl who had taken him up on the challenge previously. When he issued it, I realized I didn’t really have a choice in the matter. I was supposed to take the next year off from dating.
I expected it to be difficult, but what I didn’t expect was for God to pursue my heart so fully. He used this past year to mold me, change me and shape me into the person he knew I could be. He constantly has surprised me in the things he has shown me, entrusted me with and taken away from me.
I also read a few books over the course of the year. One was Christian Atheist, by Craig Groeschel. Another was Crazy/Love by Francis Chan. These books challenged me to quit living the ‘easy’ Christian life, to get off the bench and get in the game.
God brought new people into my life. I started hosting/leading a small group bible study in my living room once a week. These girls that I barely knew at the beginning of the year have become some of my closest friends by the end. We support each other, cry with each other, laugh with each other, celebrate with each other and pray for each other. Only God could have put us together, and we acknowledge that frequently.
Looking back on the year, I feel like a completely different person than I was in 2010. It’s so much better, in fact, that only God could have warranted this change. I want to look at 2012 the same way, a year where God took me, stretched me, grew me and blessed me beyond measure.
What are you expecting for 2012?
