As this year comes to a close and we celebrate the birth of Jesus, I feel the weight and wonder of this season more than ever. It’s impossible not to look back and see the fingerprints of God all over my story.
The first thing that comes to mind is Aurora—my bright, curious, beautiful girl. Watching her grow has been one of the greatest joys of my life. She is learning, stretching, discovering, asking questions that make me pause and smile. She is pure light. Pure magic. Being her mom is my greatest privilege, my favorite calling, the sweetest gift God has ever given me.
But this year wasn’t just about her growth—it was about mine too.
A Year of Courage, Healing, and God’s Nearness
With the Holy Spirit’s gentle leading, I made the brave decision to step off anxiety medication. I began therapy. I started building a toolbox of practical strategies. And most importantly, I anchored myself in the Word of God like never before.
Daily time with Jesus became my oxygen. His presence became my safe place. His voice became my grounding truth.
And slowly, steadily, faithfully—He strengthened me.
There were days when anxiety felt overwhelming. Days when panic attacks left me shaken. Days when tears came without warning. But not one of those tears was wasted. Not one moment was unseen. In every breathless moment, Jesus was there. His nearness was more real than the fear.
He sustained me. He carried me. He comforted me.
“She Can Laugh at the Days to Come”
My verse for the year was Proverbs 31:25: “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.”
I wanted that kind of peace—peace so deep that it produces laughter. Not laughter rooted in denial, but in trust. Laughter that says, “My God goes before me. Nothing surprises Him. Nothing threatens Him. Nothing is beyond His ability to redeem.”
But if I’m honest, most of the year I wasn’t laughing. I was wrestling. Rumination and fear tried to take center stage.
Yet here I am at the end of the year… and I can laugh now. Not because everything was easy, but because God was faithful. Not because I was strong, but because He was.
Looking ahead, I don’t fear the future. I don’t need to control every detail. I can surrender—fully, freely—because I know who holds me.
Nothing Is Wasted in God’s Hands
This year held beauty and brokenness, joy and heaviness, clarity and confusion. But none of it was wasted. God has woven every thread—every high, every low—into a story of redemption and restoration.
He truly gives:
- Beauty for ashes
- Strength for fear
- Gladness for mourning
- Peace for despair
This is who He is. This is what He does. This is why we hope.
Give Him Every Piece
Whatever this year looked like for you—whatever you lost, whatever you carried, whatever you’re still healing from—know this:
God wastes nothing. Not your tears. Not your questions. Not your waiting. Not your pain.
Give Him every piece of your story. Place it all in His hands. Watch what He can do.
Amen. You are loved dear ones. Stay lionhearted. With love, Lainey.
The lionhearted thoughts of a girl named Lainey. 
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