16/12/2025
✨ AWAKENED BY HOPE: Advent Reflection Series ✨
🌟 December 16 — “𝙃𝙪𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮”
This year really humbled me in ways I didn’t expect. There were moments when I felt overwhelmed and realized I couldn’t do everything on my own. It happened during a week when everything just felt heavy. School deadlines kept piling up one after another, my mind was constantly tired, and I was overthinking everything. I was so focused on trying to keep up and not fall behind that I didn’t even realize how distant I had become from God. But that week really made me realize how easy it is to drift away from God when life gets busy, and how much I actually need Him most during those moments.
Because of that season, I was forced to slow down and really pause. Instead of relying only on myself, I found myself 𝙥𝙧𝙖𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙂𝙤𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙡. In the quiet moments when I didn’t have all the answers, I felt God’s presence more clearly, reminding me that His grace is enough, especially when I feel weak and overwhelmed.
Those experiences also brought me closer to the people I love. I learned to open up, ask for help, and truly appreciate their patience and support. 𝘽𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙫𝙪𝙡𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙮, but it showed me that 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙨 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣, 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙, 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙮 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧.
Through everything, I became more grateful, more grounded, and more aware that real growth often comes through humility, faith, and learning to lean on God and others. 🌤️
Love,
Ralph Kendrick Paloma ⛄
