How God Changed my Life in One Year

My life looked completely different one year ago.

I had just graduated college, and then BOOM - pandemic. Businesses shut down all across the globe, which made getting a job pretty much impossible. I was forced to move back in with my parents, which although it was very kind of them to let me back in, caused a lot of tension. I hadn’t lived at home in 4 years, and now all of a sudden I had a curfew? I’m 22, mom. You can’t ground me.

On top of that, I was lonely. I had tried out a few dating apps (ended up dating a gay guy for a couple months, but that’s a story for another time), but ultimately always ended up back in the same spot - disappointed and brokenhearted. I wanted to find someone to spend my life with so badly, but no one felt “right”.

So there I stood, single, bachelor’s in hand, completely unsure of what was coming next. I had nothing - it was just me and my Communication Studies degree. It felt like my world had stopped moving, and I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to get out of my childhood bedroom.

I know I’m not alone in this. The graduating class of 2020 all got to watch their names scroll by on a screen instead of walking across a stage. People who were just a few years shy of retirement got laid off. The pandemic didn’t care who we were or where we came from, we all got our stuff rocked.

The only thing that kept me sane during this time (and I do mean the only thing) was my incredibly active imagination. I’ve always been a daydreamer; creating what seem like too far-fetched scenarios in my brain space to help me deal with the mundane and often disappointing world around me. When I laid down at night, my mind would drift off to a place where everything was…well, normal. Nothing crazy or extravagant, just normal.

I pictured myself working in an office. I pictured myself coming home to a one bedroom apartment, perfectly decorated. I pictured myself in love, and in the arms of a handsome, tattooed man. I pictured myself doing receiving my first “big girl” pay check. I pictured the life that I wish I had been given after I graduated, and I did so until I fell asleep. Every. Single. Night.

Fast forward to today.

I went into my job at an adorable office as a full-time employee. When 5 o’clock rolled around, I came home to my immaculate one bedroom apartment, where I was able to cook whatever I desired for dinner from a fully-stocked refrigerator. I am now drinking a glass of wine, and am seated across from the love of my life while I type this (and before you ask - yes, he is handsome and tattooed).

And before any of you new-agers come out of the woodwork saying that “I manifested this” - not on my good Christian blog.

I can’t take credit for where I am today. I wish that I could say that I worked my butt off and pulled myself up out of the grave I was in and fought tooth and nail to get where I am today, but then I would be lying to you. I was far too busy throwing a pity party to claw my way out of anywhere. I voluntarily laid down in that grave, and, with dramatic flair, crossed my hands over my chest and sulked.

I got my job because someone my mom used to work with saw that I was “#opentowork” on LinkedIn. I can afford my perfectly decorated apartment because the job I have just so happens to be in leasing, and I get a discount. I met my boyfriend because, although we had known of each other for two years, he decided that night in September of 2020 was the right time to say hi to me at the bar. Looking back at all of the events that lead up to today, they could have only been orchestrated by God. They were too randomly perfect not to be.

Do you see what I mean? I didn’t do anything to earn this. I just prayed and trusted that God is faithful, and He loved me enough to put me in all the right places at all the right times.

And although some days are overwhelming and the stress of it all makes my eye twitch, at the end of the day I am reminded that the life that I am living now is the life that I dreamt about one year go. I am exactly where I had convinced myself I would never be.

That’s just how good God is. He’ll never leave you in the dirt. He will always pull you out, brush you off, and remind you that better things are coming -

“My child, don’t you see? All good things come from Me. I make you new each day, and my love for you never fades.”

My Night Routine

Mornings are not my thing. I have tried so many times to implement a solid morning routine, but I am an absolute master at hitting the snooze button on my alarm. My night routine however, has been the same for a very long time. I actually look forward to getting ready for bed - it’s become a sort of ritual for me, and helps me unwind after a long day.

So if you have trouble relaxing or getting to sleep, this ones for you.

The very first thing that I do is plug in my phone and set it to do not disturb. I also take this time to set my alarm for the next day. It’s recommended that you don’t have screen time for about one hour prior to going to sleep, so I usually aim for at least 30 minutes. I have found that science is right (crazy right? Who would have thought that scientists who dedicate their lives to studying sleep know what they’re talking about?) , and that I do fall asleep much faster than when I’m on my phone right before going to bed.

Once technology is out of the way, I make my room as zen as possible (I kind of hate that I just used that word, but let’s just roll with it). I turn off my main lights and turn on the various lamps I have around my room, as they all give off a much softer, warm light that makes me feel sleepy. I then turn on my essential oil diffuser, which I fill with one of the following combinations:

• Panic Button - my favorite and what I usually sleep with. It’s a combination of neroli and rose, which helps aid in anxiety relief.

• Lavender and tea tree - lavender has calming effects, while tea tree works to cleanse your environment.

• Rosemary and frankincense - rosemary activates the creativity center in your brain, and I’ve found that I dream more when I have rosemary running. Frankincense is an earthy scent which balances the vibrant scent that rosemary has.

• Thieves - a combination of cinnamon, clove, lemon, and rosemary oils. If you feel yourself getting sick or if someone that you live with is sick and you don’t want to catch it, try this one. It has preventative properties, and is great for preventing things like the common cold and relieving the severity of seasonal allergies. I have this in a roller that I rub on when I feel gross!

Once that’s all set up, I wash my face. I shared my skin care routine in another post (linked here), but here’s the quick rundown:

1. Wet my face with warm water, which opens my pores and allows my cleanser to actually do its job.

2. Using a pea sized amount of CeraVe’s foaming facial cleanser, I rub my face in upward, circular motions (always rub product upward - it prevents premature sagging and wrinkles!). This is usually enough to remove all of my makeup, but if it’s not I’ll repeat the process.

3. Rinse cleanser off with cool water to close pores.

4. Rub on tretinoin cream (my prescription to fight acne - also talked about in my skin post).

5. Moisturize with CeraVe PM lotion. Like, a lot of it. We’re not peeling today, ladies.

That was a really unnecessarily detailed play by play, and I’m sure you all know how to wash your face, but hey…extra detail never hurts.

After that, I spend at least 5 full minutes on my knees in prayer. I think this posture is really important, and at the end of a long day when my mind is filled with a thousand and one thoughts, it helps me focus on what I’m doing. Talking to God is precious, and the last thing I want is to be lifting up an absent-minded prayer. Prayer is powerful, so I make this 5+ minutes very intentional and intimate with God.

(Side note: have you ever thought about how crazy it is that He hears us? Like…God, the Creator of the universe and everything in it, who knows the thoughts of all of the billions of people on earth, takes the time to hear our requests. That is absolutely mind blowing.)

I then get into bed and underneath my 3,473 blankets (okay, it’s not that many - but it is 3 very thick and fuzzy ones), and I journal about my day. Writing about everything that happened that day helps me to process my emotions - which if you know me, does not come easy. That’s why I put in the extra effort to write everything down. It helps me make sense of things, and it also serves as a place for me to vent about the negative things that may have happened. It’s my way of saying goodbye to that day - I dump all the negativity onto the page so I can let it go and be ready to take on the new day when I wake up.

The last thing that I do is write in my gratitude journal. I am an anxious person, and I remember hearing one time that the opposite of anxiety is gratitude. If you focus on all of the things you’re thankful for, it’s much harder for those negative thoughts to occupy space in your brain. I write one thing that I’m thankful for, one thing that I will remember the following day, and one word that I think recaps the day I had. This helps me go to sleep with a positive mindset, and since I started doing it about a year ago my sleep quality has improved immensely. It seems kind of silly, but it’s crazy how much something as little as writing what you’re thankful about can relieve anxiety and help you sleep.

By the time all of this is done, I can barely keep my eyes open. It’s snooze time, baby.

Now it’s your turn! I wanna hear about your night routine, so comment below your “musts” before you go to bed.

If you have anything that you want me to talk about, ideas for posts, or questions, please let me know! I love hearing from you guys and am always looking for new things to write about.

xo,

Bailey