Captivated Me

I went for a jaunt recently along the shores of the Mississippi, reflecting back on this year (and in many ways, this decade). It has been a wintery season of confronting wounds and traumas previously buried for years. A year of growth, of learning, of setting and understanding healthier boundaries, of being released from captivity to the past, of rediscovering passion and wonder that was lost nearly seven years ago. And as I look back, despite the painful moments, I feel my heart pounding with gratitude and an eager desire to keep evolving on this path. Winter seasons can be challenging, but they can also sustain growth – Just look at the evergreens.

May we move into the coming decade with hearts that long to continually GROW.

G – Gain perspective. Be compassionately curious about what is going on around us, about the hearts and souls we encounter, about who God made us to be, about how things work, and about how to make the world a better place.

R – Release the past. Process it, but don’t live in shame because of it. Forgive your own mistakes and the mistakes of others. Extend wild grace in every situation. Learn from and let go of the negative; appreciate and carry forward the good.

O – Own up and level up. Take responsibility for your own words and actions; you are not responsible for others. Do what you can to seek understanding and pursue peace. Remember problems can’t be solved at the level at which they were created.

W – Welcome change, and welcome God into every season. Things will happen that you cannot foresee or expect. And in the unknown of it all, there is joy and wonder to take hold of. Uncertainty is the fertile soil where adventure can bloom.