About the same day last year, I claimed that 2013 is going to be a really great year for me. And now looking back at the year that was, I didn’t expect that it’d work like magic spell!
Actually, most of the things I planned at the start of the year didn’t happen… like reading more (finished only 4 books, 5 in-progress), blogging often (which was pushed aside), traveling to China (that got canceled) and South Korea (never booked), finding a new job (without a chance), and keeping up with my target savings (boo!).
I started out strong but lost direction along the way. I felt saturated with all the deadlines, responsibilities, busy schedules and late night work. I was already running low on self-esteem then, to the point that I decided to throw away everything I’ve begun here in Singapore and go back home. I almost gave up…
…until God picked me up and took over. He fought my battles. He made me realized why things did not happen MY way. Like a movie, He unraveled the twists and turns, and revealed the bigger picture piece by piece.
As quoted from Steve Maraboli, “As I look back on my life, I realize that every time I thought I was being rejected from something good, I was actually being re-directed into something better.”
…and I couldn’t agree more!
MY 7 HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2013
I failed. Yep, I am celebrating my failure. Because failures are chances to learn and to grow. It’s kind-of disheartening, but it is a great teacher. We only really fail if we don’t learn something.
I traveled. We went to short trips in Penang, Bali and Boracay. It wasn’t major trips for me but still equally special as I was with family and close friends. As quoted from a painting I saw before, “It was a quality day, and one quality day is worth more than ten casual encounters.”
I got engaged. Goosebumps! That feeling when the world suddenly slows down and you’re at loss for words. I wonder how those girls in the movies instantly say yes! Me? I took hours, no, DAYS! Of course, it’s a major life decision eh!
I got married. Even if it took me days, I still said YES! Wuhoo! I am forever married to the person God personally chose and gave me.
I met my first spiritual family. It’s amazing how God directs us to beautiful people whom we can share our lives with. I’m blessed to have them as role models in putting Christ at the center of everything first. I wish I didn’t make so many excuses and showed up earlier.
I attended Victory Weekend and got baptized as a Christian. This experience was so liberating. It feels so good to be able throw everything in the open – my failures, my mistakes, my past hurts, my insecurities, my fears, my sins – then, start as a new being, saved and made righteous by Christ.
I experienced a rapid growth as a person. Though there were a couple of major things that didn’t go well this year, I was reminded of my priorities. We can’t be successful in our careers, and suck at other aspects of our lives. It has to be balance. I learned to dream fearlessly, to have more faith in myself, because I am deeply loved by Him. And it’s just a matter of time before things change in my favor.
There you go! 2013 was a huge year for me. There’s faith and growth, healing and forgiveness, freedom and breakthroughs. It’s so overwhelming to really experience Him take control of my destiny. My plans did not happen at all, but knowing that God’s plans did, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Not all things happen the way we imagine them to be, but it leads us to something better, sometimes even greater, things we didn’t even know possible.
