Being the Shining Light

I was laying in bed just after midnight when the inspiration for this post came about. This isn't a post about the typical New Year's Resolutions that people come up with entering a new year, but this post is more about looking back at 2017 and looking ahead to 2018.

Looking back at 2017, I experienced a lot of growth. I was just thinking a few days ago about just how far I've come. Going out of 2016 into 2017, I was still at Spartanburg Methodist College, finishing up my first semester of my last year there, applied to Clemson University and at the time, watched Clemson and Ohio State play in the College Football Playoff Semifinal for the second straight year. Fast forward a year later, God has blessed me tremendously. I saw Clemson win the National Championship, I was accepted to Clemson in early February and now, I've just finished a first semester at Clemson where I have enjoyed it, and struggled at the same time all while continuing to discover what it is that God would have me to do. In just a few days, I will be heading to New Orleans to watch Clemson play Alabama on New Year's Day. 

I say all that to say what may sound like a cliche, but it's true. It's not about the destination, but the journey and I just want to take a moment to say a huge thank you to all those who have stuck with me throughout this journey in 2017. A few weeks ago, I was listening to a sermon where the preacher challenged everyone to come up with a word as we go out of 2017 into 2018. As you can tell by the title of this post, I came up with more than one word to serve as continuation of the goals that I've have since I left to go to Clemson. The word is Shining Light. 

I want to be the shining light of belief, opportunity and growth. I want people to be inspired to believe in their vision for the future, thru the belief I have in my vision, which is to continue to glorify God through all that I do, say and think in 2018. I challenge each of you eliminate people that aren't on board with the vision that God has for your life and eliminate situations that decrease your happiness. Opportunity may come in different forms for each of us in 2018. For me, it is my desire to continue to grow when it comes to my future career and find ways to put myself out there and indicate to people that I am committed to what it is that God has planned for me. Lastly, I've grown a lot as I said, but I still have a lot of growing to do by having a better spring semester academically at Clemson, and develop more relationships and surrounding myself with people who believe in me, and I challenge you to surround yourself with the right people who believe in you and will be there to support you in 2018. 

In order to be the shining light of belief, opportunity and growth, there will be points where you will have doubts. As much success and blessings as I have enjoyed academically, I've had doubts about my major at Clemson, as I said in my Winter Break Reflections post a few days ago. This past Sunday, I heard another sermon where the preacher talked about "The Benefit of the Doubt" and one of the things he said that I wrote down and stood out to me is: "The greatest gifts that God gives are wrapped in doubt." He went on to say, "If He gave you proof, you wouldn't need faith." The point that I'm trying to make here is as we enter 2018, doubt will come, but what you have to understand is what the preacher spoke to me during that sermon, and that is "doubt is the evidence of my growth." 

Yes, doubt will come, and some of you may be on the verge of giving up on your dream, but I want you to know that doubt could be the place for a new beginning and through that, you can look back at it as your testimony as to how God worked in your life and through that, you can be the Shining Light for generations to come.

Here's to being the Shining Light in 2018. God bless you and Happy New Year! Talk to y'all in the Big Easy.

Matthew 5:16.