5 Things 2017 Taught Me

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"

-2 Corinthians 5:17  

    

     2017 was most definitely not my year. It wasn't a bad year by any means. It just wasn't my year. I had to move home from Nebraska because I could no longer live on my own. I spent countless days in a hospital bed trying to figure out what was actually wrong with me and how to fix it. I had to stop working at my favorite job and change my life's plan yet again. 2017 was filled with as many up's as it was filled with downs. But I'm not going to lie. I am extremely relieved it's 2018 and I am able to put last year in the past. I'm not one for New Year's resolutions. I personally think New Years resolutions is a thing gyms made up to boost their membership sales once a year. But I do want to take a few minutes to reflect on the things 2017 has taught me. So here goes... 5 things 2017 taught me. 

1) How much friendships really mean to me 

     This year God has put some truly amazing people in my life and strengthened the relationships I already had. My friends went out of their way so much this year to make sure I was happy and healthy. They came to visit me in the hospital, and snuck pizza in. They would text me if they hadn't heard from me in a while. We adopted cats together, saved lives together and got drunk while playing cards against humanity together. Those experiences will be on my heart forever. They don't know what they mean to me. These lovely humans have stuck with me through thick and thin and their friendship just means oh so much to me. 

2) How much I need Jesus 

     My faith has always been strong. But 2017 showed me just how much I needed the hope of Christ. This was a year of many difficult trials and it was always so easy to ask "why me?" or "what did I do to deserve all of this?" It took a lot of focusing to realize that I am all part of God's plan. That he will work everything out in his time according to his plan. I often forgot to praise and thank him when things were going well. But would be quick to ask for something different if the scale shifted in a different direction. 2017 taught me just how much I needed the strength of the Lord whether I wanted it or not. I have grown exponentially stronger in my faith this year. 

3) How to persevere 

     If there's one thing I learned this year it was how to keep pushing on, even when the cards are stacked against you. It felt like 2017 was a never ending string of bad news. News of not being able to return to my EMT job, deciding to move back to Vegas because I couldn't live a normal life on my own, news of a new diagnosis and then another. It was just a string of bad luck. But through all of that I learned how to keep my head up and keep pushing my limits. I learned that when life hands you lemons you throw that shit back and demand some chocolate. Not every scenario in life is going to be picture perfect and that's okay. It's how you handle the good, the bad, and the ugly. 

4) It's okay to have mental breakdowns

     It's perfectly okay to admit defeat and break down in tears. That's normal. This was hard for me to grasp. I don't like breaking down. I feel like it's a sign of weakness. I like feeling like I have it all together even when I don't. I learned this year it's okay to sit in the dark eating ice cream and just having a good cry. But I also learned you can't live there. You have your pity party and you move forward. There will always be those days you want to go lay in a hole and hope no one finds you. But there will always be great days filled with sunshine and hope. You can't let the dark days out number the shiny days. You have to find the balance. I'm still working on finding that balance. It's a hard line to toe. But I'm getting better at it. 

5) Just how incredibly strong I am

     I don't mean to toot my own horn or anything. But this year I realized just how incredibly strong and resilient I am. My body tried countless times to stop breathing and give up but I kept pushing. I kept moving forward. I am so much more stronger this year than I was last year because I had to be. I didn't have a choice. I am so proud of my little body for keeping on. You don't know how strong you actually are until your strength is all you have left. My strength was tested this year; but I won. I won the battle against myself this year and I couldn't be happier. 

What are some of the things 2017 taught you? I pray that 2018 is filled with God's richest blessings for you. That we all come out of 2018 stronger than we go into it. What ever your year has in store for you take it in stride. You can do this! 

With Love, 

Elizabeth <3