"“Today is the first of 365 days filled with adventure, wonder, excitement, hardship, and growth.” I remember penning this out on January 1, 2017. I went on to write a word picture of me standing at the beginning of a meadow, looking at the mountains in the distance. The picture was a description of what I envisioned the year ahead of me to look like. “But before I know it I’m at the top, miles from where I began and so much stronger than before. The thorns in my arms, the burning in my legs, the wheezing in my lungs, all brought me here: to the top of another peak.” My 365-day journey through the meadow and up the mountain has taught me many things. It taught me that fully trusting God is really hard, but there is freedom in surrender. It taught me that I am not called to be brave, but rather obedient to what God says. It taught me that life will always be changing, so I need to rely on God as my constant friend and companion through it all. It taught me that contentment will never come naturally, so I need to fight for it and choose it every day. Needless to say, 2017 has been quite the year—I spent over 50 hours on planes, traveled roughly 17,700 kilometers, and even climbed a mountain (really didn’t expect that one when I wrote my journal entry). I lived in a new culture, made many new friends, drove across my beautiful country, and started college. And through it all God keeps showing me that He’s just getting started. In conclusion, I stumbled across a poem by Minnie Louise Haskins titled “The Gate of the Year” that resonated with me as the New Year is just around the corner. And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: “Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.” And he replied: “Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way." While the start of a new year is exciting, it is also daunting and full of unknowns. I don’t know what 2018 will bring—will I continue on to social work? Will I return to Africa? Will I travel somewhere new? What unexpected opportunities will fall into my lap? So as I ask these questions, I reach for God's hand, because I do believe it will be better than light or a safer known way. His hand will be better than having the answers or avoiding the hardship. His hand will provide me the strength and the courage. His hand will protect me, and it will lead me through every meadow and up every mountain that the next 365 days hold. A few of my favourite captures from 2017...
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