2022 — The Year I Walked on Water
2022 was that year. I know that usually when a story starts out this way, it ends up being a very dramatic story in a terrible way, but that is not the case with this recap. I've thoroughly enjoyed looking back on the year because it makes me more grateful, and gratitude in turn makes me happier and more enthusiastic about the future. For the majority of December, I have been filled with gratitude and joy because this year is unquestionably a watershed moment, one of those years that you will always remember as the starting point for something new. I learned valuable lessons about trust, love, and hope this year, as well as putting myself much further out there and walking on water. Writing this review has felt really daunting to me, and I kept wondering how best to tell the story of this year in a way that would truly capture the year. I still have not been able to figure out the best way and method, but what other way to end the year than by doing what you have done most of the year: “Figuring It Out While Doing”. So, I really don't have a format for this review, but I'll do my best to tell my story honestly.
I really started to understand the phrase "be careful what you say" in 2022. When I was writing my review for 2021 around this same time, I wrote 2022 would be my year of ease (see excerpt below)
2022 — Year of Ease
2022 is going to be such an exciting year for me. It’s going to be a year filled with so many great adventures and I am excited about it. This year, I am looking forward to new experiences in every area of my life, looking forward to growth and a better relationship with Christ, looking forward to reading more, studying more, speaking more, coaching more, writing more, learning more, building awesome friendships, better relationships with friends and family. This year, I want to work from a place of rest, this is going to be my year of ease, I am going to constantly stay in a place of nourishment, experience new things with God, grow more, become kinder and go without fear..
This year, I am forgetting what’s behind me and pressing into new territories. It’s going to be my year to EMERGE. This year, I am open to new relationships, hoping to finally get a girlfriend after so many years.
This is going to be a wild year and I am super excited.
After writing this, I spent most of January telling people that this was my year of rest. As further support, I even cited Hebrews 4:11 in the Bible: "Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest." I kept telling people that the only place I want to labour is in a place of rest, that I want to work from a place of rest rather than strain, but I was unaware that living this way was more difficult than simply saying it. At the point of writing this last year and saying this, I truly didn't know what it meant to rest. This was such a fancy and idealistic statement to make, but actually living it meant something entirely different.
As the year progressed, I quickly found out that to truly rest literally means to truly trust, and herein lies the problem. As a Christian, if you asked me if I truly trusted, my first, and perhaps most direct and irritated, the response would be, of course, yes. However, I had to go through a trusting school this year and am still in class. The year started off with me feeling the need to quit my job and figure life out again. I have written about the journey several times here and probably will document more. When I was doing this, I was so sure that I was going to get something soon because this was not the first time something like this would happen. But after a month, two months, and finally five months, I was inundated with emails saying, "We're sorry, but..." Whew, I was shaken. I had begun to run out of money, my mother had begun to worry about me, my siblings had begun to worry somewhat as well, and I was worried about myself because they were worried. 2022 taught me a lot more about consistency and daily growth adding up together. There were times when continuing to apply for jobs didn't make sense, but I persisted in spite of my setbacks, which occasionally came in the form of back-to-back emails. Despite everything, 2022 has been such a wonderful year; I have everywhere experienced peace, rest, joy, and love. This year, God literally manifested himself in my life, providing everything I've ever needed. I've never been in need. All I have left at the end of the year is gratitude, and I have more than enough of it. I feel like I have grown immensely this year, and I will continue to benefit from it for a very long time. I am grateful for this year, which may be the reason why I can't document it the way I usually do. For the sake of documenting, I would review my year and posture for the next year using two headings which are “What I am grateful for and What I am looking forward to”
What am I grateful for?
My faith (in God) has been and will continue to be a significant anchor in my life. Although I had always known this, as the year went on, I realized how true it was. I caught myself saying, "I daily need God and I cannot survive without Him," in the middle of conversations. For me, this was not just a religious statement, it was the truth. I was aware of how much I had to rely on Him each day in order to live and how much I had to wait for His supply of strength. I remember starting the year drunk and nearly passing out, feeling the worst shame of my life, and praying for COVID several days later because I thought it was the appropriate response to my behaviour. But God, in all of his infinite mercy, stood by me the entire time, guiding me toward understanding and bringing me to the fullest extent of mercy. Without God's provision and protection for me, I wouldn't be writing this review right now. Thanks, Papa.
I'm thankful for my family, which includes my friends and my actual blood relatives. Through you, God has shown me a new dimension of His love. I always tell people that my friends and family are the best, and I truly mean it when I say that. These people stood by me the entire year, encouraged me, helped me, and laughed and cried with me. This year really makes so much sense because of them. I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like to go through this experience without you guys. Thank you so much for this year; I love you with all of me.
I am thankful for purpose and passion. This has undeniably fueled my motivation. For 11 months, I had all the time in the world to pursue the things that chased me because I wasn't working a full-time job. Man, I'm really appreciative of the passion and purpose that motivated me this year. You kept me alive and kept my heart beating. Just think about how I would have felt if this year were to pass without my long-held dream materializing. There are a few projects that stand out, and I'll start by listing them. Thankful for Boys Quarter Africa, Motley Inspires, the clarity sessions, speaking at social media week, training at FSDH, newsletters, partnerships, and speaking to the children at LISA. I am grateful for Apejo, the salt and light experience (which deserves its own medium article), the podcast, video interview, newsletters, content, prayers, worship sessions, conversations, partnerships, and more. I am grateful for the opportunities that have allowed me to earn a living through social impact consulting, marketing consulting, and brand consulting. There are countless other things I could mention, but I'm happy to have found passion and purpose. You really gave my life meaning this year.
Also, having this time on my hands truly helped me to rest and build out structures for some of the work I have always intended to do. I can say that I wrote at least four times a week this year, which is more than I can say for this time last year when I mentioned wanting to write more. I published articles on Substack, in a number of newsletters, and even here. I am eager to start being published starting next year.
I am appreciative of the ministries I was able to join, especially The Surge. More than anyone could have imagined, I needed The Surge. I've always had hopes and ideas for how ministry might be carried out, and The Surge gave me the chance to realize those ideas. Throughout the year, The Surge provided answers to long-forgotten dreams and aspirations. I was inspired by The Surge to believe that, with enough willpower, anything is possible. It helped me develop my leadership skills, gave me a clearer sense of direction, and taught me to prioritize the needs of others over my own. One of the most important lessons I learned from The Surge was how to fully discover and express myself through ministry. I recall hearing loud and clear on my first day at Elevation Church, "This is your home, where you can be yourself." With The Surge, I was able to fully comprehend what that meant. I fully found the freedom that led to expression. I am so grateful that The Surge has become like a family to me over the past year.
The year 2022 was the year that I fell in love, or, to put it another way, the year that love found me. I have mentioned in several new year's notes that perhaps this is the year that God will finally assist me in this area of my life. Will he not do it? haha. He will. I've written throughout the year about love and the kind of love I hope to find, and I can now affirm that God has crowned my year with goodness—and she's a woman.
Finally, I appreciate the lessons I've learned this year. Everything from bad financial management to trying to please others to failures, missed opportunities, rages, raised voices, and other things. I am a better person as a result of these lessons, and I sincerely apologize to anyone I may have unintentionally or intentionally offended. I'm improving all the time, and my best is yet to come.
2023 — We DO, We Stretch, We watch God move
I have created more than enough themes for 2023, and I am here for them. However, 2023 is a year of full bloom for me. This is the year when 1+1+ Jesus = Multiple Folds comes into play. My outcomes are different this year because the Lord has rewarded all of my hard work and sacrifices. I am blessed beyond measure; the love of God expands more and more in my life. I command undeniable wealth. I am a good steward, and I use all the gifts and purposes that God has given me for good. In the year 2023, I experience true love, and my heart is overjoyed. ❤️🧡
This is the year of the Lord, and I am just here to enjoy watching him move.
2023. Lets gooo.
