I  dont know your personal circumstances right now but please believe that your reading this is

The year just gone

In 2017, I refused to set any resolutions or write down any goals. I called it my "2017 experiment". You see, the year before I had failed woefully to accomplish any of my 2016 'ambitions'. Closing out two of the sixteen goals is an F right? Maybe the first wrong thing was having too many!

The irony though was that, in some regards, my 2016 actually turned out way better than anything I actually planned or wrote down in my journal. I didn't do what I'd hoped to. But I did some things I had no clue I could do. Can you believe it? That's God for you.

So,  given the above and the way my 2016 ended with the passing of  my 36 year old sister-child, setting 2017 goals was just the last thing on my mind. But clearly God had set his goal for my life. He wanted to refine,break, re-mould and transform me from just being Salt, his Child into being Salt, his Son.

Let me explain

We are all God's creations. Accepting Christ as Lord and Savior transforms you into His child. Which is great. But there is another level. Sonship. To be confirmed as his son, you are enrolled in the University of God's Refining by Fire. You are taken through a chastening process to bring out the 'gold' in you as a Christian. This Fire bath is what cleans you up and confirms you a son. Because whom the Lord chastens is a son. Get it?

Personally, I'm just, this passed week, fully understanding this. My Sista-Friend, Sola Macaulay, through her new book-  Whispers in the Morning - helped me understand that Sholly's death wasn't my fault. She helped me see beyond myself to God's Bigger plan for my sister's life and purpose.

But as I spent quiet time with Papa God as the year closed, He has been using Debola Deji-Kurunmi's book - Firebrand- to help me further understand that 2017 was the year of Salt's refinement by fire.

See, in my life I've been through some trials. But none of them compares to what I had to deal with in 2017. I had no times for goals. I just wanted to be able to get through each day somehow without mourning like I had no hope. I also was determined to keep Sholly's name alive. Nothing else really mattered. Oh, and I also wanted to stay sane for my family.

Looking back, I see now that my reaction and responses to 2017 was me passing or failing my 'Refining' exams. I'm just so grateful to God that in the end I humbled myself to the process. By his grace, I passed more than I failed.

The dross is being separated  and the gold is coming forth. Slowly but surely. And now that I have a better understanding of it all, I won't squirm so much anymore. I'll stay still and let the fire burn knowing that my Papa God is watching over the process and will not let me roast.

He's just waiting till he can see his reflection in me. He's making me a Son.

I don't know your personal circumstances right now but please believe that your reading this is not happenstance. Perhaps your 2017 was rough too and you are side-eyeing 2018. May I respectfully suggest a change of perspective? You are not being punished.  You are being refined. Why?

Because you are destined for Sonship too.

Don't fail your exams.

Written by Salt Essien-Nelson.

Salt Essien-Nelson is a blogger/author based in Lagos, Nigeria. You can connect with her via her blog - The Salt Chronicles on Blogger where she is ‘seasoning’ the world around her one salt blog at a time or send her an e-mail via abimbolaen@yahoo.com