If I could describe this year in a word it would be hard. Not that it was always hard but because it’s been such a challenging year those moments outweigh the easy days.

There are many reasons it’s been a hard year but truthfully it started out that way. I was out of work for the first three months and anyone who’s been in that position knows just how draining and demoralising it is. The joy was sucked out of me and honestly things felt pretty hopeless.

But then things started looking up. At the end of March, I got a job in a place I love. I had to move away from my family again, but that was okay. In fact, by that point, I was almost desperate for it. So things got better. I had a job working in a castle tearoom. I got to meet interesting people every day, and they let me have time off on Sunday mornings so I could go to church.

My health started to deteriorate a few months in, I went to the doctor and they told me what the problem might be but to this day they can’t do anything about it so I’ve just been living with constant tiredness even if I do sleep well. Some days are worse but at this point, I was on my feet all day and crashing when I got home. An 8.30 pm bedtime was not unusual. I am not a quitter and perhaps I should have at this point but I really didn’t want to leave, I had made great friends and I was happy despite this exhaustion.

So I pushed through it as much as I could but I did have to prioritise what mattered to me. Sometimes that meant staying in when my friends wanted to go and do something. But I have no regrets about how I handled it when you’re that tired you do what you must.

My job was only seasonal so it ended at the end of October but in that time I have made such good memories, ones that may last a lifetime. All good things must come to an end after all. Since I moved back home things haven’t been so good. Sure some good things have happened I took a trip to Northern Ireland and got to see my family there but other than that I haven’t done much. I took time to rest and just take a break in general thinking it would help this tiredness which was not to be. But I did finally start learning to drive which after a few lessons is no less terrifying but scarier was the day I got my wisdom teeth out and I mean all of them. I didn’t think it was possible to miss food so much.

Throughout this whole year, I have tried to keep writing some days with less success than others and this blog was somewhat abandoned at times but the desire to write never died, just my energy.

Could I consider it a good year? I think I can it may not have felt like it for much of the year but ultimately the experiences I’ve had have shaped me. The lessons I’ve learned and the places I’ve seen are not something I would take back. A year without growth would have felt worse I think than seeing some dark times that have helped me rely more on God than on myself. Anything that brings us closer to God is a good thing.

Earlier this year I would have doubted that so much good would have happened and even though it feels like I’m almost back where I started in my heart I know that I have changed and though I face some challenges this time I know better how to face them.

Now I am more certain of my faith and the fact that we are never truly alone. That alone is an answered prayer. At the start of this year, I believe God told me that this year would be the year that would solidify my faith and bring what I’ve been hoping for. I was praying for a stronger faith which I now have. I was praying for friends, a job and love. All came in a way I did not expect but I wouldn’t change a thing. God works in mysterious ways to us, but it is the best way to Him. Sure the job didn’t last and I haven’t been keeping in touch with my friends as I should but I’m learning that God always keeps His promises even if what we’ve prayed for is only for a season.

Everything we experience shapes us for better or worse but with God in our lives we can be sure that it’s for good just as it says in Romans 8:28. We can take comfort in knowing that even if we mess up God’s plan He will redirect us to fulfil it in a different way or perhaps just a different time; we can be reassured that as long as we are faithful and true to God things will happen as they are meant to. I know I do.

2025 goals

As we approach 2025 I just want to encourage you not to lose hope. You don’t need to have resolutions or goals. It’s okay to just want to make it through the new year without anything planned. It’s enough to just rest in the presence of God.

If goal planning is your way I wish you all the best and want to remind you that your best is what it is so leave the comparison behind in 2024. I encourage you to consider God in your planning and intentions this year. And if your only goal is to pursue Him I think that’s the most important goal of all however you choose to achieve it.

I haven’t put much thought into goals this year which is completely unlike me. I usually have a huge list that I never achieve. But this year I want to try something different and it begins with God. As much as I like to say He is in every thought or action it’s simply not true so in 2025 my goal is to go all in with God and everything else will fall into place. Or at least I hope so anyway. Truthfully though my faith is more steadfast now for a while this year it wasn’t and that’s not a place I want to be in again. The most important thing I learned this year is that a life without God is not worth living. I hope you know this too.

On that note, I wish you all the best for 2025. I pray that God brings your desires and hopes to life. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and wish you a happy new year!