2020: What God Did

  At church on Sunday, instead of having a sermon, we had a time for reflection on what the year has been and what it’s brought; a lot of time we’d been focused on what was wrong, what the enemy was doing, and Pastor Josh invited us to reflect on what God has done this year. There were three specific question/prompts that he had for us to start a conversation with Holy Spirit; they were (in no particular order):

• What was a miracle that happened?
• What was a revelation I had?
• What testimony of His goodness do I have?

A miracle that happened

  I got to go on the Race!!!!!! A lot of things that happened earlier this year have been reframed in my mind since I’ve been on the Race, and it really is a miracle that I’m even here. One week before Training Camp started, I had failed to meet the $7,500 deadline, and my admissions advisor was giving me alternative routes that would launch later, giving me more time to fundraise. This was a really hard, but also a really good week; there was a lot of crying, but a huuuuge lesson in trust that I don’t know I would have learned any other way. The day before I would’ve gone down to Georgia and joined everyone on campus, I canceled my flight and prepared myself mentally to tell my squad that I wouldn’t be going; I checked my fundraising “one last time” (I’d done that at least 10 or 20 times at this point) and I was less than $200 away from the deadline!!! After many phone calls with my admissions advisor (so they knew I would be going to Georgia), my dad (so I could rebook my flight and get to Georgia), and my mom (so she knew I would be leaving in the morning), I got started packing and less than 24 hours later I was in the South!! It was the craziest time of my life with so many emotions and without the anonymous $2,500 donator, I never would have gotten here. Thanks God!

  Since I’ve been at training camp, even more miracles have happened: Reed’s leg was healed, my ankle got healed, I GOT FULLY FUNDED!!!!!!!!! I could spend days telling all the amazing things God has done and it still wouldn’t cover it.

A revelation I had

  I got sooooooo much made real to me this year. To name a few: God as my Father; God as my Husband; the beauty of relationships between brothers, brothers and sisters, and sisters; what it’s like to live as the person God made me to be (in the way He made me to do it!). But by far the biggest was that God speaks to me and I can hear Him! Starting last July, God started speaking to me; with a few exceptions, it definitely took effort to hear Him, but His voice was there, He wasn’t hiding. It has been a gamechanger in my relationship with my Abba to not just talk to Him but have a conversation with Him.

A testimony of His goodness

  Any and all of what I just wrote above could be a testimony of His goodness, so I’ll share a bit more (hope you’ve got time 🙂 ) Ever since high school I’ve struggled with loneliness and desiring community; God gave me a community at home and the most amazing squad community!! Interestingly enough, He used community to teach me greater intimacy with Him. He’s rekindled my love of creative expression, and also expressing myself in ways that are new and different. He’s given me clarity of purpose, and new vision for my life centered on His Kingdom.

  Overall, this year has been one of, if not the, hardest year of my life to date, with lows so deep I had to come to the end of myself. It’s also been probably the best year of my life, with amazing friends, new and old, and a Friend who’s always been there and will never leave, with joys so high they’re on Everest, and new understanding and knowledge of who I am and how He made me.

  I encourage you to take time to reflect on the last year; what good things happened? What hard things happened and how did they change you? What did you do to change yourself? 

  I don’t know what 2021 will bring, but I know that whatever happens, God is still on the throne, He isn’t surprised, and He’s got good plans.

  Till next year,

  Claire