Lessons I Learned in 2017

Welcome to Histories and Mysteries. As promised, today’s article is about the lessons I have learned in 2017. Throughout our lives, we learn many lessons either from personal experiences or the wisdom of others. Here are some of the lessons that changed my life in 2017.

1. It’s okay to be different.

I have yet to find a person on earth who shares my love of modern history, my convictions in politics, and my urge to write. It may be because such a person does not exist. Well, that’s a bummer; now I won’t have a best friend forever. Not exactly. In the beginning of the year, I had a circle of great friends. Then my friends got to high school and found “best friends” of their own. Their personalities and their likes/dislikes changed too.

This year especially, I have found it extremely difficult to relate to anyone. But through these experiences, I was much comforted to know that I don’t have to be like everyone else. All I need to do is follow the Lord and what He tells me to do. It’s great to share similarities with other people, but the most important characteristics are those that God wants us to develop in our Christian walk. I have heard it said that sometimes when people seem to change overtime, you need to realize that you have changed too. And that is a part of maturing in life. But in growing, you should be growing closer to Him because that is ultimately what matters.

And even in that, I was able to reach out to others who don’t have very close friends at church. I have been able to talk to a few different people here and there that I may have never been able to encourage otherwise. It helped me to realize that I have a closer friend: Jesus! The hymn “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” has been such an encouragement to me throughout 2017. He is unchanging, wants the best for us, and will never forsake any of us. He’s the friend that never fails.

2. The work God has for your life is not always pleasant.

My family began fostering two kids in October 2017, and it was quite a change especially for me. I had tons of chores to do, I rarely had free time to do anything, and my home was enveloped into perpetual chaos. People who know me know that I hate babysitting, and even more now since that takes up 25% of my life now (the other 75% is school).

Looking back at it now, I have realized that fostering was an answer to one of my prayers. During my 9th and 10th grade years, I found myself asking myself the question, “What do I even do?” At that time, I hadn’t a shred of an idea about what talent I had. All of my friends were extroverts who went on mission trips to evangelize and could do some pretty amazing things that I just could not do at all. I kind of just sat at home doing school. I couldn’t do art or sports or be a bold extrovert and voice all of my opinions. So, I kind of just sat there, thinking about how I must be the least interesting person in the entire universe. After all, people would tell me that I was boring and that my life was sad. And I believed what they said.

Fostering was an answer to prayer in a way. Being able to help out the family to this degree completely answered that question. “What do I even do? I help.” So maybe that was God’s way of giving me a sense of purpose although I didn’t have this job in mind. This is God’s work for me to do. I may not be in musical theater or be on the honor roll. But I can “live up to what light I have” as Abraham Lincoln said, just faithfully doing the job I have been given even though I do not want to change diapers or watch three crazy kids.

3. The little jobs are where to start.

I spoke about my role of being a helper in my family, but it also helped me to realize that God gives us little jobs to start. I was expecting a very large job like becoming an author or volunteering in politics. But there’s a reason He doesn’t start us off with the most impressive job in history. We would become so prideful that we had gotten so far so fast. And that’s where everyone in history starts: at the bottom. Many of the great people in history — Ronald Reagan, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln — started as practical nobodies just trying to survive in the world. But through a lot of hard work (and God’s help, certainly), they have all become heroes. And even though we may never be that important in the world’s eyes, if we choose to do the work God has given us faithfully, it won’t even matter. Because your achievements are not about you; they are about glorifying God through the story of your life. Humility, recognizing that our lives are not our own, is key.

4. Christmas is not about tradition.

I was wishing for the perfect holiday season which according to my definition means following every tradition we have for the past fifteen years. That included going shopping with my mom on Black Friday, decorating the house the next day, buying European cookies from Costco, going to my church’s Christmas concert, attending the Christmas Eve service in the evening, looking at the neighborhood lights on Christmas Eve, going to the relatives’ house on Christmas, and staying up until twelve on New Year’s to see the new Girl of the Year from American Girl (one of the most important parts).

This year had to be completely different. Everyone was busy with the foster kids so I couldn’t go shopping, I decorated alone, our church’s Christmas Eve service was in the morning, I didn’t go to the relatives’ house. Basically, so many things went out of order. In addition, I caught bronchitis, and was sleeping half of Christmas day.

But I realized that tradition wasn’t what made the holiday season great. It was who I was celebrating; that would never change. So even though I was disappointed, I found myself with joy in who Christmas is all about. But for some reason, there is one tradition that never leaves. It’s called being sick for the New Year’s. This has literally happened to me since I was ten, and I think I wasn’t sick for only one New Year’s since then. It’s a horrible tradition, and I really need to get rid of it.

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I hope that you learned a new lesson in 2017, and I hope that God will equip you to learn even more lessons in 2018. Comment below what God taught you the past year.