This activity is more concrete and visual, focusing on the chronology of what has happened and how that has impacted you.
Pause to commit this time of reflection and prayer to God. Ask for his help in seeing and remembering what is important for you to process on from last year.
Looking Back
- List — Take several minutes to make a list of events that were significant in your life during the past year. This can be things that you did or that happened to you, things that affected those close to you, or even large-scale events if they had a personal impact or significance. Include both positive and negative events, and things that affected you in different ways (physically, emotionally, spiritually, relationally, in work, in daily life, etc).
- Dates — After you have made your list, make a note on when each event occurred. Don’t worry about exact dates if you don’t know.
- Timeline — On a blank sheet of paper (or two), draw a timeline. You can make marks for the 12 months if that is helpful to you. Write the events from your list onto the timeline.
- Emotional curve — Next, using a different color pen or pencil, draw a curve that shows how you were doing/feeling throughout the year. When the curve goes above the timeline, it indicates generally positive feelings, below denotes generally negative feelings. Use the height/depth of the curve to represent the intensity of those feelings.
- Pause — Take some time to look over your timeline and let it sink in. What strikes you as you look at the timeline of the last 12 months? Pause for long enough that you recognize some of your feelings and heart reactions as you consider all that has happened in the last year.
- Pray — Talk with God about your timeline, the events on it, the curve of your feelings, and your overall impressions. If any parts stir up thoughts or emotions, take some extra time to pray about those things.
- Write — As you look at your timeline and pray, do you notice any themes or patterns? How do you see God at work in your timeline? Are there any parts of your timeline that feel unresolved or that would be helpful to process with a friend? Take some time to journal about these things.
Looking Forward
As you reflect on the last year, what hopes or longings do you have for the coming one? Where do you feel the need of God’s grace and working? This may include desires not only for yourself, but also those around you, your community, and the world. Write a prayer committing the coming year and these hopes to your good Father.