The Best Year Ever

“For we know that all things work together for the good of those who love God and those who are called according to His purpose.” – Romans 8:28

Why are we so obsessed with having the best year ever? Could it be that it’s actually a longing for heaven while still being here on earth?

There is actually too much effort required already for even just a “good year” to happen. Consequently, it also brings some pain due to unmet expectations both from people and from situations that didn’t turn out well as planned, or even hoped for.

Each year, we all go through a roller coaster of highs and lows of our lives.

Mixed emotions from a variety of experiences.

Cornucopia of both good and bad memories.

And a plethora of mistakes, but hopefully, just as plenty are the lessons we gained through it all.

I have had so many pains and regrets in my life that sprang from my own decisions, of both actions and inactions. But I will myself not to dwell on them.

Instead, in weeping and surrendering, I turn them all to the Lord who makes all things beautiful in His time and way.

I choose to focus on the good things that transpired in my life, despite the bad things that linger in my heart and mind.

I keep fighting the good fight of faith, because I trust that in the end all my labors of love for the Lord will not be in vain, by God’s goodness and grace.

So as we approach the closing of another year, I turn to God in praise and thanksgiving for the wonderful things He has done in my life…and here they are:

5 Things I’m Grateful to God for in 2016:

1. Strengthening of my orphaned siblings bond, despite some unfortunate turn of events
2. By God’s grace, being able still to manage full-time work, college life (hoping to graduate next year!), and events hosting
3. The growth of my spiritual family through Jayson Lo’s Victory Group, and my spiritual community in the Ushering Ministry of Victory Greenhills
4. Breakthroughs in my event hosting: my first out-of-town wedding hosting, my first hosted radio interview (Thank You, Jayson Lo!), more corporate Christmas events hosting, more likes in my events hosting Facebook page
5. New learning experiences and building new meaningful and potentially lifelong friendships

To this end, I won’t say 2016 is the best year ever, because I believe that the Lord still has many best years ahead of me.

We may never have “the best year ever” in this world so to speak, because we live in a fallen world filled with imperfect people like us.

But by God’s grace, everything will turn out well eventually, if we turn it all to Him who holds tomorrow in His hands.

All I can say is, I will do my best to live my life to the full, to the extent that the will of God will take me. “To You be all the glory, Lord!”