31st Dec - As the Year Closes, Let’s Remember What Actually Mattered

It's New Year's Eve and the noise of Christmas has faded, the calendar is about to flip, and without even trying, we start replaying the year in our heads. What worked. What didn’t. What we hoped would happen… and what never quite did.

For some people this feels exciting. For others, it feels a little disappointing and hard..

When a year hasn’t gone the way we imagined, it’s tempting to reach for distraction - something to lift the mood, numb the disappointment, or help us feel better about stepping into another year.

But sometimes what we actually need isn’t distraction. It’s perspective.

Every Christmas season, my husband insists on our annual tradition: sitting everyone down to watch his Christmas movie of choice. Without fail, it’s It’s a Wonderful Life. And I’ll be honest it’s not really my favourite. The main character George Bailey is… a lot. Emotional. Intense and way too dramatic.

But the movie has an important message in that, even though George's dreams don’t suddenly fall into place, what changes throughout the story for George is the way he sees the life he already has.

He realises that what he thought were failures were actually moments that mattered. That staying, helping, and choosing people over ambition shaped and impacted the world around him more than he ever realised. That success doesn’t always look the way we thought it would.

And I was reminded of that again recently with a friend we know who is a musician - gifted, funny and generous with his time. He loves music and like most creatives, I’m sure there have been moments where he’s wondered why things haven't taken off faster or bigger. He isn’t to most world-famous or away touring the globe all the time.

But he has taken time with our kids - especially our youngest son. He encourages him, letting him hang out with him in his guitar workshop, and answering his questions so he can learn from him.

He shows up.

And not long ago, our son said to me,“I’m kind of glad he isn’t mega famous and touring the world all the time… because if he was, I would never have met him. And that would have been sad, coz I really like him and He means a lot to me.

It reminded me that what can look like disappointment from the outside isn’t always disappointment at all. Sometimes it’s significance, because impact doesn’t always look like applause, your name in lights, be based on your social media stats, steaming no's or visibility. Often it looks like consistency, your presence and investment. One life shaping another in a way that will matter long after the moment has passed.

And it made me wonder how many of us are measuring our lives by the wrong things.

How many times we’ve called something a failure when God was actually using it. How often we’ve overlooked our impact because it didn’t come with fanfare or big recognition.

As this year closes and a new one begins, I keep coming back to this verse - one my kids love to hate haha.

“We can make our plans, but the Lord directs our steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)

Sometimes the year that didn’t go to plan is the very year that shaped and grew us the most.

So as you stand on the edge of a new year, maybe the invitation tonight isn’t to rush into resolutions or pressure yourself to have everything figured out. Maybe it’s to look back and ask God to help you see your year with gratitude and then look ahead with trust - asking God to help you see both where you've been and where you're going through a kinder more hopeful lens.

Because some of the most important things you carried this year won’t ever show up on a highlight reel - your courage, unseen kindness, staying when it would’ve been easier to walk away, loving people without needing credit. And all of that mattered more than you know.

And as the new year begins, you can step forward with confidence trusting that even as God is gently directing your steps.

New Year Action Steps

• Before you rush into new goals, pause and write down three things from this year you’re genuinely grateful for - even if the small wins.

• When things didn’t move as fast as you hoped, don’t label that as failure. Delay doesn’t mean nothing was happening or achieved.

• Ask yourself: Who did I show up for this year? Chances are, that mattered more than you realised.

• Try redefining success - not as how much you achieved, but as the impact you had on others.

• As you step into the new year, loosen your grip on the timeline and trust God to lead the way forward, one step at a time.

Bible Verses

“We can make our plans, but the Lord directs our steps.”— Proverbs 16:9 (NLT)

“Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”— Galatians 6:9 (NIV)

“Do not despise these small beginnings.”— Zechariah 4:10 (NLT)

Prayer

Lord, as this year comes to a close, please help me see my life the way You see it. Thank You for the moments that mattered, and all the places I had an impact and grew this year. As I step into a new year, I bring my plans to You and trust You to direct my steps. Please give me grace for what’s behind, hope for what’s ahead, and peace to walk forward one step at a time with you. In Jesus' name Amen.