Overcoming Grief: Leaving Behind What 2023 Stole

Dear Friend,

I originally planned to disappear in January, and I had my life all planned out. I was going to leave the country, go off the grid, and recover since 2023 was such a challenging year for me (and so many others.) However, as I sat down to get the strategy for 2024, Holy Spirit convicted and corrected me. Long story short, He reminded me that this is no time to lose my momentum.

Though 2023 snatched every last edge I had, He showed me I still made progress. He reminded me that when aircrafts take off, they are met with resistance and when they are in the air, they are sometimes even met with turbulence. Though the plane is built for the journey, the harsh elevation conditions still threaten the aircraft's ascension. We never look at the outside condition of the plane when we exit it. We ignore the wear and tear because we're too busy focusing on our next destination.

But what if the aircraft could speak? What would it tell you about the journey? What bruises would it show you? Would the aircraft look like you?

When I get wounded, my natural response is to retreat. I go into my already introverted shell, and I don't emotionally come out until I feel it's safe. This means I can be hidden for days or weeks; however, God has been working on my recovery time. Though it's wise to heal when wounded, it's not smart to hide. It's not wise to retreat for an extended period, especially when it's your turn, and you're finally ready to step into your next.

If you were wounded in any way last year, you must choose not to hide from yourself. You must be brave enough to show God your scars and courageous enough to allow Him to heal them. You must also decide not to give up on your destiny. You must decide to go to therapy if you need it.

2023 was designed to make the majority of us quit. Your enemy was strategic last year. You should've been gone. You should've been stuck, but you didn't give up. God carried you. He kept your heart alive (in my Maverick City voice).

I felt convicted when God reminded me how He kept me in 2023. I felt convicted because I didn't feel He did such a good job. I felt every blow. I felt every disappointment. I felt every drop. I felt every hot tear.

But He didn't let me die. He didn't let you die.

“'And then I came by. I saw you all miserable and bloody. Yes, I said to you, lying there helpless and filthy, “Live! Grow up like a plant in the field!' And you did. You grew up. You grew tall and matured as a woman, full-breasted, with flowing hair. But you were naked and vulnerable, fragile and exposed. I came by again and saw you, saw that you were ready for love and a lover. I took care of you, dressed you and protected you. I promised you my love and entered the covenant of marriage with you. I, God, the Master, gave my word. You became mine." Ezekiel 16:6

I sense so strongly that each time we were wounded last year, God was following closely behind us to breathe life back into us. To pick us up every time we fell. To cause us to live.

And you lived. Yes, those things did happen to you, but you're reading this because He issued you a command, which you obeyed. He told you to live, and you did. You obeyed. You made it to another year. You are here and still ready to ascend.

Don't let the memory of 2023 steal the progress of 2024. Your past has nothing new to say to you, so please stop listening. You're wiser. You're stronger. You're ready. Lean into God this month. Let Him be your strength.

He's got you.

Welcome to 2024!