Walking Into the New

As a new year begins, I am sure we all have some goals or aspirations for this new year, whether it be eating healthier, working out more, or spending less time on social media. The beginning of a year is a great way to reflect on your life and the positive changes you want to make. The start of a new year also brings hope and expectancy, a sort of clean slate from the past year and a fresh new beginning. Winter is soon ending, and spring is on the horizon.

I believe this physical transition of seasons is also a representation of the spiritual seasons we experience in life. In one of my recent blog posts, Beautiful in His Time, I wrote about being in a dry, waiting season, which can feel like a winter season: cold, dreary, with little happening on the outside. Winter seasons of life are often where God is doing deep internal work, pruning and shaping us, preparing us for the next season of life. They can feel dry and uncomfortable, but God does not leave us in winter to harm us but to bless us. During these seasons, roots are growing beneath the surface, laying the foundation for the growth to come in the spring.

Spring, on the other hand, is a season of harvest and growth, where things begin to blossom and come to fruition; the seeds God has planted start to sprout. We may see open doors or answered prayers for things we have been believing for. These seasons remind us that God is a God of the new, and He delights in bringing his children into new seasons of life.

A verse in the Bible that describes being in a new season of life is Isaiah 43:18-19, which reads:

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

The first line, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past,” reminds us that when God is doing a new thing, He often calls us to release things we’ve been holding onto to be able to receive the new. It’s easy to get caught in the past, good or bad, and stay stuck there, focusing on what used to be, instead of moving forward in our present. Letting go can be very difficult; we can become resistant to change and cling to things that God is trying to remove.

What holds us back can look different for each person. For some, it’s old habits or mindsets that God is trying to remove. For others, it’s regret or shame from past mistakes, believing that God cannot use them. And for some, it’s unresolved hurt or resentment from people.

For me, I’ve found myself clinging to how good my life was at college, believing that season was the best God had for me. But that is such a lie! I believe I’m in a season of life where God is doing something new. And for me to step into what He has ahead, I must release the past and trust Him with my future, believing that the best is yet to come. The truth is, God always has the best for us, so if He wants to bring something new into our lives, we can trust that it will be good.

As you read this, I want to encourage you to trust God with the new He wants to bring into your life, however that looks. I know staying on the same comfortable path can feel easier, while stepping into the new feels unfamiliar and scary. I get it. I've had moments in my life where I had to take big steps of faith that felt both terrifying and exciting, and that stretched me. But in the end, those steps became some of the best decisions of my life, and I'm so grateful I chose to step outside my comfort zone and fear.

Imagine what could be on the other side of your fear? The beauty. The growth. The love. The excitement. All you have to do is trust your Father. He is holding out His hand, waiting for you to take that step.

It’s easy to feel stuck, waiting for God to move, but sometimes we have to take those first steps into the new things He’s already preparing. We wait for a sign from heaven, afraid to make the “wrong” choice. That’s how I am. But my mom reminded me once that we can’t mess up God’s will. Even if we make a “wrong” choice, God will always lead us back on His path and realign our steps. We can take those steps, even in uncertainty, and trust God to open or close doors as He sees best. The unknown can seem dark and daunting, but He lights our path, guiding us step by step into the new seasons He has planned.

Sometimes God opens doors right away; sometimes, it takes time. In waiting seasons, it can be hard to believe for something new, especially when we’ve been waiting for answers or open doors for a long time. For me, it helps to be reminded that God is at work, even in the waiting. One song that touched my heart in a season like this is “I Remind Myself” by LO Worship:

In the ashes

In the waiting

You are speaking

You are making all things new

You’re making all things new

You will finish what you started

And these tears will grow a garden

Someday soon

Watch these dead things bloom.

I hope these lyrics encourage your heart as they encouraged mine. If you feel too weary to keep believing, have hope that your tears will soon water those prayers you are praying for, and those ashes in your life will be turned into beauty. However long it takes, God can be trusted with the how and when. He is faithful, and He loves you.

As we walk into this new year, I pray that we would have excitement and expectancy for what it will hold. I pray that we would face whatever challenges come with grace, and that this year would be filled with testimonies of God’s goodness and provision in our lives. I pray that anyone stepping into new seasons or opportunities, feeling a little hesitant and scared, will take that step of faith with courage.

As you enter this new year, hold His hand as He guides you into the plans He has for you, trusting that they will be good. <3