Each time the calendar year turns, I love to reflect on what the last 365 days taught me. This provides me a sense of closure on what has happened, hope for what’s to come, and peace with where things are. Sometimes it’s challenging, and others it’s full of joy. Most of the time it’s a combination of both those sentiments, and/or everything in between.
Reflecting on 2021 is no different – it’s full of some memories that I’ll cherish forever with some of my favorite people, and some lessons that feel like they’re burnt into my heart because they hurt to learn. I think that’s what life is about, though. With that thinking, I guess my 2021 was pretty on par for what life is, even though the world we live in feels like an alternate universe these days.
Plain and simple: 2021 has been a rollercoaster. For some, 2020 was the hardest year they’ve had..I think 2021 was that for me. Instead of writing out all of the things that happened, what I learned, or how it felt, I want to thank 2021 for some of my favorite memories and a very important lesson I learned.
1 (Big) Lesson
I’ve heard so many people say that “God gives His toughest battles to His strongest soldiers” or “God never gives you more than you can’t handle” when life is really hard. I always found comfort in that because it made me feel like I could handle anything as a Christian because God believed in me.
I did a Bible study on Advent with a theme of “Light of the World,” which dove into Jesus being exactly that. One of my favorite themes in the study has been that God’s presence with us is enough to get us through anything. Emmanuel, meaning “God with us,” is the reason Jesus’s birth is such a big deal. This life was designed for us to do it with God. And because He is with us, He loves us as His own, and He is all-powerful, His presence with us is truly all we need.
Then during my Advent study I was doing at home, I went to church and listened to a message that expanded upon that theme. It was certainly a God moment as I was going through such a challenging time and the pastor’s message literally said exactly what I just described….That problems are ways for God to exemplify His glory through our growth. That our challenges aren’t about us and what we can do, but it’s about God and His power. That our issues and responsibilities are greater than our desires, and about our purpose of showing God to the world.
Here’s a summary of the end of the message from Greg Hartmann (even though I recommend you watch it yourself, at least starting around 35:00): No matter our situation, we are to have joy when it doesn’t make sense, we don’t know how, or the circumstances are too great. We can rest in the fact that God loves us enough to walk with us, and use us, even though we don’t feel like we have enough strength. When it’s about Him, He can do great things in our lives. Even in the hard times, that’s what will give us joy.
This theme showed up so many times in the last half of 2021 that it stood out to be the most powerful lesson of the year for me. So now I know that those phrases of “He gives His toughest battles to His strongest soldiers” and “He never gives you more than you can’t handle” aren’t true…It goes a lot deeper than that. Our ability to handle the things in our lives has nothing to do with us. It has everything to do with God and His providence in our lives.
2021 taught and reminded me that I am not alone and I will get through this hard season because God is with me, especially when I feel like I can’t get through it myself – it’s just part of God’s plans to do something awesome in my life. And I can’t wait to see what that is.
10 Smiles
In addition to learning a lot and having challenges in 2021, I had tons of moments that made me incredibly happy. It’s not only important to reflect on the things you learn, but also to express gratitude for the people and memories that you cherish a lot. In that spirit, here are my favorite ten moments from last year (in random order):
#1: Floyd, VA – April | A solo road trip through some of my favorite places – Nashville, Blacksburg, and Richmond. I stayed in Floyd when visiting Blacksburg in this incredible yurt. 
#2: Kansas City, MO – December | One last group hug, huddle, and prayer with the wonderful 2021 AFA Student Advisory Team as they wrapped up their last meeting. 
#3: Blacksburg, VA – October | A Virginia Tech weekend with some of my favorite Hokies, in and out of the CALS Alumni Organization, watching VT football play Notre Dame 
#4: Gatlinburg, TN – December | A special view during a mountain getaway featuring some of my teammates turned into pals. 
#5: Weston, MO – February | Valentine’s Day at O’Malley’s Pub – an underground bar from 1842 – with the first live music Nathan & I heard since the pandemic started. 
#6a: Lafayette, IN – June | The most beautiful bride on the day she married her best friend. It was so darn special to see her live out an amazing day. (These two weddings are representative of all the weddings from 2021.) 
#6b: Richmond, VA – April | The best party in Virginia. Chris & Kristin’s wedding in April with the best people. (These two weddings are representative of all the weddings from 2021.) 
#7: Kansas City, KS – July | Nothing says 4th of July like saging your friend’s apartment to cast out potential demons from her room. 
#8: Kansas City, MO – April | An Easter Sunday spent with my best friend at church and with a picnic by the river. 
#9: Fayetteville, AR – August | An incredible concert by my favorite band with my favorite guy. 
#10:Street, MD – December | My family could all be together on Christmas Day and it was low-key. It was special. Featuring our friend, Evan, the dog.
As the good and hard times come in the next twelve months, I hope you stop to think about what you’re learning – about yourself, God, others, and life – and that you take time to be grateful for it all. Even when it’s hard. Even when you feel like you can’t. Know that when God’s got you, it’s all going to be worth it and it’s all going to be good. Remember, “Emmanuel” is all we need.
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