Reflection

Periodically, I take a serious look back on my past pursuits and decisions. I feel it gives me insight into how I got where I am.

The positive outcomes help me to see what steps I took and if they were a direct path or not. I closely examine how God gave me His guidance.

In reflecting upon the not so positive outcomes, I can see if I was making poor choices or perhaps trying to take matters into my own hands, taking me to a dead end. It forces me to acknowledge to myself if I let go of God’s hand. Did I run ahead of God and try to find my point of success? And at what point did my plan take a turn for a poor outcome?

Either way, I reflect on the redemptive value that those paths led me to. Was the experience a lesson or opportunity to grow when I identify what redeeming factor is staring me in the face?

For me, finding the redeeming value helps to process the lesson, the experience, and in knowing what my short-coming was, so I can make an effort to avoid the same issues in the future.

This approach to reflective practice allows me to understand what God is showing me.