RECAP 101: This is 2011

In 3 days, the year that I've waited for many years is about to end. I still can't believe that it's almost over, for before I have been marking each and every day on my 2010 calendar just so that I'd know how many days are left before this year comes. I remember how I use to imagine what life would look like the moment the clock strikes twelve, and the date on the lower right of my laptop would have a drastic change--the change from 11:59PM 12/31/10 to 12:00 01/01/11. Yes, this is my farewell note to another best year added to my life--2011.

Thank You, Lord, for 2011. Before I say anything further, above all, I feel I've reached the extent of His grace too many times this year. And now, as I look back, I feel so undeserving. That is why before anything else, I want to bring back this year to Him, for making all of these happen, intertwining the threads of joy, happiness, blessings, and the threads of sadness, disappointments, trials into one wonderful piece of memory called 2011. These threads, are so diverse, so colorful, each with a very vital role in my life, and it all happened THIS YEAR. Siguro kaya ganito ko na lang ka-gusto ang taong ito. (That's CODE-SWITCHING! XD)

This year, many things happened, too many to mention. Yet if there is one amazing thing I thank God for the most, that probably would be making me realize the real essence of Romans 8:28 first hand.

Not everything that happens in our life is something we would immediately appreciate. Not everything that we see, we hear, or we feel in life is something we would immediately enjoy. Sometimes, it would take a while for us to see the real beauty in it, the real reason behind it, and the real purpose for it. And most of the time perhaps, it would take a lot of prayer, a lot of searching, a lot of cleansing in our lives for us to see it. This is what happened to me this year. I wasn't able to immediately grasp God's plan. I didn't even appreciate it at first. It took me so many months of praying, of seeking, to finally understand the whole concept of the lesson, yet God was so gracious. He never stopped showing me great things when I was in doubt, in proving Himself strong when I was weak, doing all of the things I can't do because He can, and just being faithful in all of those that I mentioned above when I was unfaithful. With all of these being flashed back into your mind, how come you can't be amazed with His grace?

If you wonder what am I talking about here, then let me tell you the greatest thing that happened to me this year. It is being able to successfully step on college, and to be a college student for half-a-year already. Paligoy-ligoy ika nga ang istorya kung paano ako nakatungtong dito. But with God's leading, He brought me here; He brought me now, fulfilled, contented, satisfied, successful and grateful, without any regrets. ANY REGRETS.

I remember one of my friend told me this. She told me that sometimes, there are things that we really want in life. We work hard for it, we try hard in doing anything and everything just to have it. Yet in the end, we just don't get it. This only proves that indeed, there is Someone far higher, far above us, Who knows what's the best for us and gives us something that is the best for us. That was such a reminder, a reminder of how limited is the scope of our vision, how far can we really see our life, compared to how God can see the beginning and the end, being the Alpha and Omega. Like what my another friend told me, "...you may not see it, you may not feel it, but God is teaching you, molding you, changing you, day by day. In the end, you'll see yourself stronger, better and mature, seeing things in a new persepctive..." God is in a "life-changing process", He isn't over with my life, and so with yours too. Now, as I look back, I can finally tell God, with all gladness, with all joy in my heart, "Thank You Lord, for placing me here."

I am enjoying college. To those people who are wondering, here is my definite answer. I'm enjoying not because of all the "wordly stuff" out there. I'm enjoying because I'm in the center of His will. He has placed me here for a purpose, and by His grace I'm fulfilling it. I'm not perfect, yes I know, but that's why there are trials, hardships, and testings, to strengthen my faith, to protect my testimony, and to magnify His name.

Again, as I close, I rest in one of my favorite phrase in the song "The Strength of the Lord": 
"It's not in trying, but in trusting, It's not in running, but in resting, It's not wondering, but in praying, that we find the strength of the Lord..."
This 2011, I've learned, that "all things work together for our good". It's one thing to just read the phrase, and it's another thing to personally experience it. In everything that happens in our life, whether "good" or "bad", remember that as a child of God, God is currently finishing His workmanship in us. He is finishing the jigsaw puzzle of our lives, making all of the different pieces with different shapes and colors fit one to another, and complete the wonderful picture, the brilliant image of our lives where God's greatness can be seen in every piece. All we need to do is to just simply "TRUST" Him. He knows what He's doing, as He has promised that the work that He started in us is a work that He would be able to complete. 

Let's stop arguing with God this 2012. Who are we to argue after all? Why not try to have faith in Him, trust Him, and be amazed on what He can do to our lives this upcoming year. 

I am grateful for 2011, and as this year ends on Saturday night, I can tell myself that I've somehow grown a lot this year. Through 365 days of all the mixed emotions the dictionary could possibly offer, my life is now filled with all the colors the spectrum could possibly give, and for this I thank God. Thank You Lord, for what You've done this 2011, and I'll be always grateful for what You are about to do this 2012. 

2011, is where great things transpired; 2012, is where there's more to come...

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