2015 has just ended, and we are already facing the “New Year New Me” posts everywhere. It’s easy to poke fun at those getting on the bandwagon, but any change can be a good one. No matter how it was encouraged. To commemorate a new year starting, I’m going to look back at just 5 things I learned from 2015.

Possibly the hardest lesson this year was realizing that there is a time and season for everything. It seems minuscule, but this year I left consistent traveling and exchanged it for college classes and work days. It is hard to skip the traditional route of life, but it is even harder to stay still and grow into your next step of life. Jesus did not start His true work until later in life. He grew until He was ready. There is a time and season for everything. 

At the same time, though, it is almost unbelievable that today is the first day of the new year. Growing up, everyone talks about how fast time moves. It is uncanny how true this is. It feels like 2015 just started, but at the same time, things that happened in January seem like centuries ago. We have seasons of growth and patience in our lives, but some of the things we desire and require have deadlines. Life is quick, so you better use your time wisely. 

I have also had the pleasure of meeting all sorts of people this year. From the ones with common ground to those that I would have never connected with before, all of these people are special. You can find similarities with everyone. If it is not a shared interest, it is a history of struggle and brokenness. It is important to commune with the people you meet. You have no idea what someone needs to hear or what you may need to learn. Relationships with all of these people matter simply because people matter. 

This year we have witnessed numerous attacks on the safety of the world. We have seen lives lost and communities destroyed. However, we have also seen people join together to mourn, to pray, and to love. We are closer than ever before, despite the fear that resides in so many of our eyes. Life is fragile, but we serve a God that blesses us with grace and hope to find a solid ground. We are broken people with the ability to be put back together. 

Life can’t be predicted, no matter how hard you try. From leading a new sign team to some of my job and mission opportunities, I would have never seen these things coming. It makes you wonder what 2016 will hold. In times like these, the age old phrase “expect the unexpected” still rings true. You have no idea what is coming next, and sometimes it happens way too quickly. I learned to plan, but I also learned to prepare to be unprepared. 

2015 was wild, and it is okay to be unprepared for 2016. We serve a God, who is all-knowing and ready to walk us through all the areas that we are blind to. What do you think the new year holds for you? More importantly, what did you learn in 2015 that can help you along the way?