Sharon Kimani

Looking back on the year that was what went right? What went wrong? Why did those things go wrong?

It’s always important to look back and reflect. What is also equally important is to look ahead and plan and pray.

 

This year two of the top lessons I learnt is​

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1. Trust God

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God has proved Himself trustworthy to me this year. I stepped into 2018 with a lot of uncertainty pertaining to various aspects of life and I just trusted Him to open the right doorways which He did and while at it He opened doorways that even I didn’t expect. God is Faithful and Trustworthy.

 

 2. He will never leave you

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God has granted me assurance of His presence- the fact that He truly will never leave my side and even as I go through the difficult moments He is carrying me. This assurance has been granted in different ways but mostly through response to questions that I had really just thought of but never really prayed about. I know that my Father cares for me and loves me truly- He indeed will never leave me.

 

With those lessons learnt there are two decisions I am making as I enter in to 2019

 

The First one is to MOVE forward.

 

With a cloud of social media and YouTube at your fingertips it’s so easy to fall into the trap of watching other people live their lives and forgetting to live yours. Moving forward by running the race set before me.

 

‘Some of us are not running our race because we’re too busy scrolling through everyone elses’ – Christine Caine

 

Don’t be a wheel-burrow in 2019, don’t only move forward when someone pushes you.

 

Monday Motivation- a lovely thing but really ask yourself why do you need motivation every single Monday? It’s lovely to be encouraged but is encouragement the only fuel that can move you- what happens when there is no Wi-Fi and you can’t access your favourite speaker? Basically are you moving because of other people or are you able to move despite them. That was a big awakening for me this year- that if I don’t personally get up and take ownership of my life no one else will.

 

Once you know where you are meant to be going and what you are meant to be doing get up and move.

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The Second one is to leave behind

 

There are several things that I have purposed leave behind in 2018 because they have been nothing but ‘Enemies of Progress’.

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1. Fear

 

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. - 2 Timothy 1:7

Fear is the enemy’s tool to incapacitate the believer. Something I learnt through an experience in hospital is that the fear of the outcome is often so much worse than the actual outcome. Sometimes we build obstacles and paint pictures of doom in our head that do nothing but demoralize us and keep us stuck.

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In January we’ll be doing a series called #INSECURE (yes I like hashtags). The first video is actually already up and you may watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geyOKb4WnjE

 

Fear and insecurities will not keep me in the cycle of make-belief destruction. I will walk in the truth that I have been given a Spirit of power love and a sound mind.

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  2. Pretence

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The millennial epidemic of trying to be something that you’re not, or acting/seeming okay when really we’re not. I’m leaving the fake ‘Fine’s in 2018.

Of course the whole world doesn’t need to know all that has been happening in your life but someone does- no man is an island.

Speaking of which pretence of relationships just has to stop. It was Abel Chungu who once posted how people really do buy into Social Media fuelled relationships because you’ll bump into someone you haven’t actually talked to in years but they feel like they have been involved in your life by liking your posts.

 

It’s also an extrovert trap by having a lot of superficial relationships and no real deep ones. Stop Pretending!

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   3. Procrastination

 

Self-sabotage is what this is. When you know all you are meant to do but don’t do it for no particular reason. Time won’t wait for you. A new year has come, kindly pause before you put on your goals list the exact same goals as last year that were not accomplished due to plain old laziness and first re-evaluate.

 

I’m no longer putting the “Pro” in “Procrastinate” but instead in “Proactive”                   –S. I. Kimani

 

Being proactive about my life decisions and goals- moving forward intentionally.

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  4. Prayerlessness

 

Not communicating to the one whom you’ve asked to take complete control is like embarking on a long journey without any form of direction and is quite honestly foolish and pointless. Don’t build in vain in 2019.

 

More so building a relationship that is intimate and that does not revolve around activities like church or bible study is key.

 

This year the King of my Heart and I are going to be the best of Friends and in constant communication.

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And that means even when I don’t hear Him clearly I will still go back to His throne to seek Him. David is the best example seen in 2 Samuel when David was about to do a seemingly good thing (build a temple) that would to man get obvious approval but God had a different plan,

 

I don’t want to assume God’s direction this year, I will seek Him earnestly.

 

Not praying in season but praying without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

 

Finally on to the verse

 

Isaiah 30:21 is what was laid on my heart.

 

Assurance of guidance and direction. When the Creator of the globe and author of time is your instructor peace and patience are your portion in every step you take as you know that it is guided, preceded and accompanied by God Himself.

 

In 2019 God will direct you if you seek Him- will you obey His leading and quieten yourself to listen to His voice?

 

Trust His instruction, be assured of His presence and move forth boldly knowing that your instructor is the Lord Almighty.

 

That’s it from me for 2018, onto 2019 with new grace.

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Will be back in the year coming to continue journeying with you from where we are to where we are meant to be.

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Kindly stay safe as you ‘jump’ the year. If you haven’t reflected yet please take time to do so and purpose not to be “Insane” by doing the same thing the same way and expecting a different result. Evolve by re-evaluation and correcting errors in passed workings and trying again.

 

Thank you so much for being part of the JTW family, you have been an amazing support.

 

May God Bless you All and Happy New Year

 

Sharon I. K. Kimani

JTW