Reflecting on 2022: Here Comes Change | New Year’s BLOG TOUR!

Last year, I committed myself to rolling with the punches of life and being real with my audience. No matter what came my way, I was going to respond wisely.

Now, as I reflect on 2022, I realize I did pretty good at committing to being real, buuut I had to learn a few lessons about rolling with the punches–also known as accepting change.

The first lesson was realizing how horrible I am at accepting change. It scares me! Secondly, 2022 taught me how to cope with my fear of change through a series of more lessons. Of course, unfortunately, the best teacher is experience.

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In honor of this brand-new year, a few bloggers and I are hosting a blog tour all about productivity and setting goals! My part is to set your mind at ease when it comes to the change that is bound to happen in 2023, but to really experience the transformational power of setting new year’s resolutions, make sure to follow the winding paths of the blog tour!

• Isabella Daou, the mind behind The Public-Schooled Christian, will be discussing goals for the school year. (Read more: 5 School-Related New Year’s Resolution Ideas)
• Desiree Flaming, the writer for Flight Patterns, will discuss ways to organize and keep track of your goals. (Read more: 3 Tools to Help You Meet Your Goals & Blog Tour Wrap Up)

• Ava Coulter will be discussing productivity and consistency in writing. (Read more: How to Achieve Your Writing Goals and Find Focus in 2023)
• Lastly, Emma Thrasher, the owner of Roses of Grace, will discuss how we can think Biblically about productivity and not go insane in the process. (Read more: Christian Productivity—Your Motivations Matter)

You are not going to want to miss this! With that said, let’s dive into the story of how to let go of the past and embrace the change that will take place this year.

Reflecting on 2022

If you don’t know my story, I have been in a long-distance relationship for almost 5 years. It has been hard on my boyfriend and I, especially when Covid made our visits far between each other, but 2022 allowed us to close the distance for a whole month.

I squealed with excitement and indulged every second of getting to hang out with my amazing goofball.

Unfortunately, 800 miles of distance was bound to separate us again. When it did, the pain we felt from each other’s absence was stronger than before.

It was hard to learn how to live without my best friend again. It was a painful process. During the first few weeks apart, the miracle of spending time together started feeling like a curse. Why does it have to hurt so much? I often thought to myself.

Another hurdle I faced last year was learning how to accept my niece’s talent for growing as fast as a weed. My baby-loving heart wished for time to slow down. I wanted to savor every stage of her life.

It was hard to watch her speak gibberish one day and yell out Mama and Dada the next. It was beautiful to be able to watch her bloom, but I was sad to see her grow so fast.

2022 taught me that no matter what I did or how many times I white-knuckled the things I care the most about, change was going to occur.

Life isn’t life without things shifting, quaking, and falling apart. However, I now recognize the change I thought would destroy me is what opened the gates to a richer life in certain ways.

The pain of distance between my boyfriend and I is more prominent because our love grew while we were together. That is not a negative change.

We may be able to feel every mile in between us, but I would much rather miss my best friend than not have him at all.

My niece may have a knack for growing fast, but she is now old enough to walk through the front door and run up to me with a smile on her face. When her toddler-sized arms reach up towards me, a beckoning to be picked up by her aunt GoGo (yeah, that’s my aunt name and I wear it proudly), all of the sadness is replaced with joy.

A baby has no choice but to be held by someone. A toddler in a house full of people can pick whoever they want to cuddle with, so when they choose you… Happiness is sure to follow.

These things wouldn’t have been possible without change. Despite certain seasons of life feeling uncomfortable or painful, not all change is bad.

Whenever I tried to force something in my life to stay the same–or at least slow down–things still changed. No amount of worrying was going to scare off the inevitable. The only thing it did was stress me out and cause me to ignore the beautiful transformations that were happening around me. In the long run, worrying only made the transformational memories blurry.

Ultimately, I discovered that living isn’t about trying to keep everything the same. We cannot tie down the pieces of our lives that are bound to change or float away. Nothing stays the same, and that’s okay. Change is necessary!

When Change is Horrible

I understand that not all change is good though. Whether it is a world-shattering diagnosis, divorce, or death, some changes are flat out devastating. However, I believe no matter how horrible a new season is, it can help us grow spiritually. I have experienced it firsthand.

When we buried my great grandaddy early last year, I knew I would survive the heartache because I had experienced it before when my great grandmother, his wife, passed away. That didn’t make the change good (it was still the worst thing ever), but it gave me proof of the spiritual sculpting that takes place through even the worst kind of change.

Regardless, I still wept. I still asked God why. To this day, I still cry and miss both of them dearly. Accepting negative change isn’t about ignoring it or the emotions attached to it; it’s learning how to spiritually grow through it all.

Conclusion

As my heart prepared to say goodbye to 2022, I gazed into a toasty fire and savored the nearness of my family. I don’t know what the future holds and what changes will need to take place to get there, but I will lean on God through it all. That’s my resolution for 2023.

Maybe I will have to let go of something I hold dear to my heart. What if I have to step out of my comfort zone in a way I never imagined I would? Perhaps I’ll get to welcome another niece into the world soon.… Who knows! 😉

All I know is that change is going to happen for all of us, and I pray we will have the strength to respond correctly. I know I’ll stumble and struggle but continuing to learn how to roll with the punches is worth it.

So, dear reader, rest assured that no matter what 2023 has in store for you, it is possible to roll with the punches. How? The only way is to pray hard and lean on God through it all.

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What did 2022 teach you? What are your goals for this new year? Let me know in the comments! I would LOVE to know! ❤️

And again, make sure to follow the 2023 New Year’s Blog Tour to learn how to make the absolute best of this new year!