We are winding down 2023, and what a year it has been—again. I mean, last year was tough enough, but then came this one. I won’t go deep into what I have faced and am still facing, but I will just say I have been stretched, have struggled, been trampled on, and confused, but my faith in Christ has not wavered. Do doubts come in? Fo’ sho! In fact, I have battled more doubts than I ever have, but I always win because over the years, I have learned how to fight the enemy. Yes, just as there’s a strategy for natural warfare, there’s a strategy for spiritual warfare. So no, a tough year does not mean defeat. It means I had ample opportunities to get stronger. I’m more determined to get to know God more for Who He is, rather than who many, myself included, have made Him out to be. Sometimes, the thing you come to learn is that you have so much more to learn—and to unlearn. What I do know is that God is good, He is faithful, and His character is flawless—even if none of that looks the way I’d like it to look all the time.
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I have found a strength through the Lord I didn’t know was there. I think that’s an accurate statement. Don’t get me wrong: I’ve never been a weakling. But I have developed more muscles where they matter. I have learned am learning to partner with others to fight big giants. I have learned am learning to stand alone in areas that leave me vulnerable to being scrutinized, misunderstood, and misrepresented. But I am willing to risk that when life calls for that.
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These aren’t just 2023 areas of growth. They have, no doubt, been a long time in the making. God does that, you know. He builds upon and builds upon and builds upon. Why? Because we couldn’t handle it all at once, and I’m not sure others could handle it in us, either.