As we move towards the end of the year, many of us are setting goals and making plans for next year. We have high hopes and great expectations. But as I look back on the last several years, it is the unexpected things that have made the biggest impact on me and the people around me. Here in Episode 41 of Just One Simple Thing, I’ll share three ways to embrace the unexpected things God has in store for you.
Can you believe the end of the year is almost here? We’ve made it through a second year that has been full of so many twists and turns, you’d think we were going for the world record in roller coaster rides!
Even when I have clear goals and plans, some of the best things are the unexpected ones that God drops into my life. After all the craziness we’ve been through the last couple of years, we may have been conditioned to brace ourselves for the unexpected … to steady ourselves through strength of will and endure whatever pops up next. But I’ve learned that instead, if I embrace the unexpected … greet it with a big warm hug and find all the best things in it … I usually see that it was truly a gift that brought new purpose and opportunity into my life.
Let’s look together at three ways we can embrace the unexpected.
1. Embrace unexpected answers to prayer.
There may be things you’ve been asking God about for years … you’ve got a picture in your mind of how that answer looks … but God may be trying to answer that prayer in a completely unexpected way and you’ll miss it if you are only looking at that picture in your mind.
2. Embrace unexpected ways to use your gifts and talents.
You have gifts and talents and experiences that God wants to use in unexpected ways, but perhaps you are not recognizing the value of those gifts. Be on the look out for unexpected ways to use your gifts and talents.
3. Embrace unexpected change.
This next year may be smooth sailing, or it may be full of unexpected twists and turns. But what I know is this: Nothing is ever unexpected by God.
ACTION STEP:
Look back at those three ways to embrace the unexpected and find evidence of one or more in your life. Head over to my free FB group, Plan & Pray with Do A New Thing and share it with us there. Because the more intentional we are in recognizing the good that comes from the unexpected, the easier it will be to see and embrace it in the future.
RESOURCES:
The Build A Better Year Workshop ….. Re-connect with your WOW, silence the If Only’s that keep you stuck, make a plan for next year to be better than last year. Learn more and sign up here.
Book Recommendation: Moving Forward: Inspiration for the Go Getter Jesus Girl
How would it feel to close the door on 2021 and start the new year with fresh confidence?
No matter how 2024 went for you, you need to say a fond farewell before you can move confidently into a new year.
The Looking Back to Move Forward challenge will help you take stock of 2024, decide what to carry with you into the New Year, and what needs to stay in the past.
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