Happy Happy New Year to you all!
I've been doing a ton of reflecting and speaking to mentors leading into this new year and man, as I sit and ponder about last year, I just want to give God thanks for his loving kindness, patience and endless retries. If I am being totally honest, He put up with ya girl who did a lot of whining and complaining. 🫣🙈
2022 was hard, y'all! I mean it was ROUGH!! But, mostly because of the perspective I carried. But even in that place God has shown me the silver lining; I want to share why failing the test is not the end of the world.
Keep reading!
Things that God is making me so aware of is that He is relentless with His will and perfect in all His ways. And what He wills for our lives won't bend just because we want to offer Him a new idea or an easier route. His will for our lives will be accomplished, either through us, the chosen one to fulfill the task, or He will find someone else if we are not willing.
I mean let's think about this. If you take your driving test and you run over every cone when trying to parallel park, smash into a couple cars when parking, and rightfully so, you fail the test because you are legit a danger to every driver, pedestrian and squirrel on the road 🤣🤣, should they just give you a pass because this is your 10th time failing? NO!
You must pass the test to get your license. Periodt! Lives are at stake here. If you failed the test go practice some more in parking lots and gain the skills you need to pass.
Or think about this medical analogy. I am not a heart doctor, cardiologist, but I'm a little familiar with tests that are performed to study the strength of someone's heart. To test the strength of someone's heart you don't let the heart remain in a very cool and restful state, but rather, you put the heart through a stress test. You simulate an active state of the heart by letting someone walk on a treadmill. And if the heart does not handle this test well, well now you know what treatment options need to be implemented to help the heart get strong and handle real life stress that will inevitably happen.
The same in our lives. We don't mature and grow as individuals by going through real cozy, comfortable situations. And we can't be given an easy pass to the next level or gain our license of completion when we continually fail the test. We mature/gain our license by being put through stressful, trying, disheartened, faith testing experiences and coming out of the other side.
And someone may say, "well dang, how is that good for me?! Why would I be happy about this??"
And the answer is because it helps us assess whether we have cultivated enough in us to handle the tasks we were created to complete-- to be the wife or husband we need to be to our spouse, the parent we need to be to our children, the right person to inspire and encourage those we have been called to in the work place or in our communities.
Because let's face it. This life is not just about it being soft and enjoying vacations and taking beautiful social media pictures. I mean I really wish this was the case, though 🥺, LOL.
This life is meant for us to help someone get out of darkness and get to the beautiful light, whether that is to encourage someone out of committing suicide, to help a couple of the verge of divorce mend their marriage, to inspire someone to create that business model that will help thousands of underprivileged people, etc.
So the trials are absolutely necessary. The build you up to exactly who you were designed to be! 💪🏾
And failing the test is not the end of the world. It simply means you need a treatment plan or more practicals to get you ready-- just like the heart stress test.
As I take stock of 2022 and prior years, my stress test that I have not passed with flying colors is overcoming the spirit of offense when I am not well received by those around me or intentionally hurt by others.
And when tests are not passed AND treatment plans are not immediately implemented what ultimately happens is the heart muscle gets sicker and sicker. And a heart that doesn't function well then starts to affect other organs in the body. And a body that doesn't work well is ineffective.
So for the perfectionist, "I don't want to ever mess up or be spoken ill of or I want to be liked by others" person out there. (cough, cough, ME). Don't take the failed stress test as a fatal flaw and lay dormant and inefficient.
Rather take the failed stress test as an opportunity to go into an intensive treatment plan to get ready to take the test again and then pass with flying colors!!! So that you can be tried and proven to be effective.
You passing the test is so so so needed. The maturity you will gain from your test will bless many. The perspective you will gain from the trials/stress test will enable you to have a vantage point that will keep you soaring and excelling. The skills you will cultivate in the stress test will give you a special niche in your arena that will touch many.
Friend, yes you didn't pass every test in 2022. But guess what? You have the opportunity to train, take the treatment measures, and take the test again and PASS IT!
2023 is your year!! Not just because someone is saying it or prophelying to you, but you are going to put in the work and pass your test!!!
Push!!! Push hard!! And know that souls are depending on you continuing to persevere.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James 1:2-4
HAPPY PEACEFUL, PURPOSEFUL, POWERFUL 2023 to you!!!!
XOXO,
Jenn
A dear friend introduced me to this prophetess @Tiphanimontgomery and she has been a tremendous blessing in my life. She is funny as heck, and a little uncouth 🙊, but she teaches the raw word of God and her testimony of how she was saved it powerful and relatable.
Check out her 2023 planning video. I think it'll bless you.