We’ve given thanks around Thanksgiving. We’ve celebrated the birth of our Lord and Savior at Christmas. Now the time of reflection has arrived. Some will be sad to see the year go while others, like myself, will be happy to start fresh.
One thing in life that will never change is change my family sure got more than we bargained for this year. You know what that means? Change equals stress. It was by the grace of God we survived. Not all of our change was bad, but even good change creates stress.
The first changes coming to my mind are the loss of my father and two other church members who fought cancer. Other losses included the closing of one of our businesses we tried to buy for one of our kids to run. Our local Wal-Mart closed it’s doors as well, affecting our entire community. This loss impacted our Word in Action Ministry, too, as they were a great resource and donor.
Some of the joyous occasions include both of my daughters getting married, although that left me fighting the “empty nest syndrome.” Planning a wedding without sight during a schedule packed as tight as sardines wasn’t exactly easy. Late in November came our third grandson as another happy memory, especially after the possibility of losing him and his momma.
Besides launching my blog, another time-consuming change this year included my husband being elected to General Superintendent of Full Gospel Churches International. This position meant travelling weekends for three months. Our ministry also inherited a thrift store to operate from a 501 C-3 organization who had to give it to another 501 C-3 organization. That was us.
Many of the changes zapped our emotional bank, but all changed our routine immensely. When looking back, it would be easy to focus on the pain or the extra load, and see it as a bad year. However, this blog is about changing our focus.
When burdened with the negatives, I need something to facilitate changing my focus. A blessing jar. Yes, a simple jar I kept throughout the year for us to put blessings in. Since I can’t see, I cheated. I typed mine in a file on my computer to read at the end of the year. It was amazing to look back and see the amount of people we helped find jobs, were touched physically by God through our prayers, and God’s protection. Would you believe I had even forgotten how God’s angels protected my husband when he worked on a rental house? Electricity unexpectedly flowed, knocking him to the ground. An electrician informed him it was the most dangerous kind because it grabs and won’t let you go. In defense of my husband, he believed the electric company had shut it off at the pole like they normally do so it was a shock to him, in more ways than one.
I pray your life had fewer changes than ours, and the the ones you had, were good.
If not, you might consider filling a blessing jar in 2016.
Feel free to try it regardless. It really does change your focus. Please tell me one of your blessings or highlights from 2015 in the comments below. Thanks.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
© 2016 – 2015, Jena Fellers. All rights reserved.
Hi Jena,
Wow! You did have so much going on last year!!!
Making new friends was a big blessing for me. New friend and sometimes manager, Melissa and her husband, enriched my life, Melissa, especially. In my speaking ministry, I met all kinds of people that gave me perspective on my life. My existing friendships continued to strengthen me. Even one friend I didn’t trust to follow through on a promise did in the end.
Another unexpected blessing was joining the Lions club.
A third blessing was finding the right narrator for my book.
It was a hard year for me, too. But these blessings balanced it out!
I love your idea of the blessing jar. 🙂
Love,
Amy
Hi Amy. I saw how you had a tough year too when I read your post. Aren’t you glad we can balance things and change our focus by looking at God’s blessings? By the way, congrats on the narrator. A giant step. Many more blessings in 2016. Keep your focus on Him.