It's Not Over
Guys, it's almost Christmas.
If you need me over the next two weeks, I’ll be somewhere watching Elf… And also planning a wedding… But mainly watching Elf.
Seriously though, we have two weeks left of 2016.
If your year has been anything like mine, it’s had its ups and downs with a few loop-de-loop’s thrown in just to keep you holding on.
Isn’t it crazy how much life can change in one year?
The moments that we wish we could revisit. The memories that we wish we could erase. The things we wish we could have said. The things we wish we never said. The fights we had. The friends we made. The people we said goodbye to. The decisions we made. The hopes deferred. The dreams fulfilled.
We all started this year with a countdown full of hope, dreams and sparkling drinks.
Maybe 2016 has been the best year of your life. If so, more power to you girlfriend. Perhaps you found your person, held their hand and felt all the feels. Or you finally decided that nobody lets your dream sit in the corner, and you did something about it. Or you went on the type of trip that Instagram was created for, and everyone double tapped the heck out of your photos.
Now that you had such a year, with two weeks to go, please… Reflect. And keep reflecting. Find the person who encouraged the pants off you this year. Write them a card. Send them a text. Buy them a coffee. Say thank you. Don’t let thanksgiving stop with turkey and sweet potato. Please, always say thank you.
And yet, perhaps this wasn’t your year. Maybe you seriously considered turning in your adult badge and burning all your grown-up clothes.
Sometimes, despite our prettiest mood boards and proudest mantras, life just pulls out some plot twists.
I remember when I first moved to Los Angeles and felt all of those things. I remember being two clicks away from booking a flight home and calling it quits when my sister sent me a bible verse. It stopped me in my tracks and got me back on my feet. So today, it’s my turn; let me be your sister.
Jude 1:2 (The Message) says, "Relax, everything's going to be all right; rest, everything's coming together; open your hearts, love is on the way!"
Don’t quit. Don’t give up on this year. It’s not over yet.
So don’t wave that flag, not yet. You still have fight in you. I know you do. If I kept the fight up this year when the enemy was throwing its biggest punches, so can you.
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You have two weeks left to stand up when others are lying down.
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You have two weeks left to smile in the midst of a storm.
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You have two weeks left to let people in.
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You have two weeks left to praise Him even when it doesn’t make sense.
I don’t know what your year has been like, but I know you have two weeks left. I know we have two weeks left. And I just wanted to remind you that it’s not over until that countdown gets to 1, until the fireworks begin to crack, and until the text messages roll in.
We have two weeks left of 2016. Let’s make it the most wonderful time of the year.
Hebrews 10:39 (MSG) But we’re not quitters who lose out. Oh, no! We’ll stay with it and survive, trusting all the way.
Elyse Murphy
Elyse Murphy is a writer, pastor, and international speaker. Her experiences of life as a pastor’s kid have led Elyse to write her first book “Confessions of a Church Kid.” Elyse now resides in Los Angeles, working with young adults and ministering as one of the pastors at Oasis Church in Downtown Hollywood. Connect with Elyse on her blog.
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