WARNING: This is a rambly post. I have had many thoughts running through my head. I am writing them down so that I might consider them better, and be able to look back at them in the future.
Well, it's been a difficult year in many way. Joe's mom passed away earlier in the year from brain cancer, and that has been a very difficult loss. She was such an anchor and gift to the family, and not having her with us has left us feeling adrift, with a great ache and void in our hearts. The dark cloud of that loss has loomed in our lives this past year, so much of 2017, even the good, has been saturated with a sense of that loss. I have had bouts of sadness and grief this Christmas season, when I feel the loss most keenly for her and for my father, who also passed away 8 or 9 years ago of Leukemia. I have also felt anxiety thinking about goals I have not met for myself. I am ending this year weighing the same amount as when I started my health journey two years ago, and that is frustrating. I have given my best efforts this year at fitness, and still am not really where I want to be. And in that regard, Facebook is both a blessing and a curse. It's really nice to see others meeting their goals, and to receive prayer and encouragement when you are down, and even get help from people who know more than you and are further along on the journey. However, I find it difficult not to compare myself to others on health journeys of their own, and not feel inadequate or even ridiculous. I have not progressed very much with writing or art, and every year with homeschooling brings its challenges that often cause me to feel out of my depth.. I am not where I want to be in really any area of my life, and currently I feel overwhelmed contemplating where I should actually put my focus for 2018. Should I focus on healthy eating and exercise? Should I not worry about that so much and just focus on improving in art? Should I not do that and focus instead on actually writing a book of some kind? And how do I do any of those things and still do a good job homeschooling and parenting my kids? What about my marriage? How much time and energy does it require? What are the boundaries I should set for myself and with Joe to be both loving and healthy? And over and above all of that there is my relationship with the Lord. I confess that I am over 40, a Christian, and I am not sure if I read the entire Bible or not. I start plans to go through it all, but usually stall about halfway through and end up not finishing.
On the other hand, maybe I have learned somethings this year. No, I am not where I want to be. But I believe I am better off than if I had not tried. I am learning that "Progress is a process, not a destination." (Someone else shared that on fb in the Run Peaker, Run! group, but now I don't remember who, or I would credit them.) That was a timely encouragement I needed. So maybe the scale has fluctuated, but I have had more energy this past year and I did do some races and just getting out there is something.
I am learning it's not being a "poser" to allow someone else to know your identity as something you love but aren't good at yet. For me to say "I am a runner" or "I am a writer" or "I am an artist" or even "I am a Charlotte Mason homeschooler" when I struggle and feel so small and insignificant in my abilities takes courage. What it really means is not that I have arrived at some destination, but I have atleast opened the door and begun the journey. For some people, this is probably no issue at all. But for me, it has been. I felt like acknowledging that I am in these groups or even want to be opens me to a new level of scrutiny by others, and breaking free from the fear of what others think of me has been a challenge. I am a woman who has struggled with so many insecurities, which makes the fear of rejection or humiliation feel so powerful sometimes. It's easy to say and know that I shouldn't care so much what other people think, but it's another thing entirely to act on that belief and follow through with actions, especially when you feel as if you are standing alone.
So about 2018. What do I actually want for 2018? Well here's what I want, just thinking as I type:
1. I want to read my Bible all the way through. For real I want to be still and hear God's voice, and obey Him. I want the advice and wisdom I give others to be more than just my "good ideas"; I want to be so in tune with the Holy Spirit that His voice speaks through mine to other people, so that the words I speak are truly life giving.
2. I want to look in the mirror and finally be happy with what I see. I want to learn to love the best of the person God made me to be, and yield to God to change the parts that need to change.
3. I want to not just say I am a runner. I want to believe it and feel it. Same for being an artist and writer. And even a teacher. People tell me I do a good job at that, but often I doubt it's true. I don't want to become arrogant, but I want to see all of who I am accurately, and be able to know myself well, both good and bad. So often I have seen the bad in myself, and I don't deny that side of myself. But I would like for 2018 to be a year where I can also see and accept the good, in myself first, but also in others.
4. I do want to move forward in the areas of growing as a mom, teacher, artist, writer, and runner. I want to learn new things and be farther along by the end of the year. I am still not sure how to judge that, but it's a desire I have to grow and have marked changes that affirm that growth. I know that one goal I have is that I would like to be able to run an entire 5K and to interval run/walk a 10K this next year.
5. I want to be joyful and peaceful with my children at home. I want my children to remember me as a joyful, loving, fun momma who loved them well, not a sad, depressed mama who was always afraid and let fear control her.
6. I want to read lots of good books, books that are classic books, books on self care and self improvement, books that speak to my heart.
7. I want to invest time and energy in relationships with other women to build friendships.
8. I want to invest time and energy in relationship with my husband to build a better relationship.
9. I want to invest time and energy in relationship with my children to disciple them and to communicate that I value and love them.
10. I want to help my daughter plan a wedding, and it to be the most beautiful and wonderful day for her and Jacob, and to know that the memories of that day will always be special and sacred for them.
11. I want to be more present in my day to day life. I want to put my phone away, and be engaged in what's happening around me. When I am not, I want it to be because I have been intentional in my choice of what I am doing, and have peace that it's the right thing for that moment because it was made by choice and not by accident.
12. I want to continue to cut sugar from my diet and minimize junk food.
13. I want to build back up our emergency fund, and get to a place where we are consistently spending less than we make.
14. Practically speaking, we need to get our roof repaired this year.
15. I want to take a family vacation.
17. I want to own my feelings and behaviors as my own, and allow other people to have their feelings and behaviors, without taking responsibility for how others feel. I want to show empathy and respect for myself and others, but also accept the "separateness" of other people. I want to own my own stuff, and apologize for my mistakes and wrongs when appropriate, but I want to not take on the burden of other people's happiness as being my responsibility. I want to make decisions based on what's best and right and true and is what God has ordained for my family, not based on whether someone else approves or not. The only approval I should seek is that of Christ.
18. I want to get away privately at least once this next year with my husband.
19. I want my home to be a peaceful place. I want to own our stuff and not be owned by it. To that end, I will endeavor to declutter our home in a way that is not traumatic for my family. I want to show my children respect in my parenting, but model to them that people and relationships matter more than things. I want to teach them to be good stewards of all that we have and own. I want them to learn to take good care of what we have, but also to recognize when to let things go that are no longer blessing us or even just could bless someone else. I want to be thoughtful in how I even bring more things into our home, so that decluttering becomes less necessary.
20. I want to be a support to my older kids, as they grow beyond us and the structure of our family.. I want to build friendship with them and be the kind of adult who respects them as adults but also challenges them in healthy and loving ways. I want to be a friend with them who listens more and offers advice less.
21. I want to be active and vibrant in my local church family. I want to support missions work both financially and with prayer. I want to be obedient and faithful to God's call to edify believers around me and to be salt and light to hurting people around me. I want to do this with prayer, but also with my talents, time, and resources.
Maybe much of this just sounds like pretty words. My hope is that it's so much more than that. It's the truth of what I desire, and honestly, one reason I get so discouraged this time of year because I see such little growth some years, even with doing my very best. But I am reminding myself today that I am on a journey, and I am moving forward, though slowly. I am giving grace to myself and others. Failure is not the end. I can fail, and keep trying and going, and hopefully getting better. If you are reading this, I would appreciate prayer that God gives me greater wisdom, discernment, and direction in 2018, and that I am quick to be a doer of that wisdom, that it would bless me and others.
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