Close, But Not the Same

Is your life today what you pictured a year ago?

There is a strange moment that sneaks up on you when someone asks, “Is your life today what you pictured a year ago?”

Not in a dramatic, mid-crisis way. More like a pause between sips of coffee where you realize the answer is layered.

Some parts of this year arrived exactly as I imagined. I traveled to Australia, South Korea, and New Zealand. I spent time with family. Those moments were written into my mental calendar long before they happened. They were planned, prayed over, and anticipated. And yet, when I look at the full picture, this year also carried turns I never penciled in, lessons I did not forecast, and growth that only showed up because the plan loosened its grip.

Proverbs tells us that “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps” (Proverbs 16:9), and this year proved how gently true that is. The map I held was not wrong. It just was not complete.

The Parts That Matched the Picture

Some dreams came true exactly as imagined. Travel grounded me in wonder again. Australia stretched my sense of scale. South Korea stirred joy, memory, and gratitude in ways only lived experience can. New Zealand slowed me down enough to notice what had been quietly asking for my attention.

There is a particular peace that comes when something unfolds just as you hoped. It feels like confirmation, not applause. As writer Pico Iyer once noted, “We travel, initially, to lose ourselves; and we travel, next, to find ourselves.” That felt true in every country. These trips were not escapes. They were mirrors.

And spending time with family reminded me that no matter how far I roam, belonging still anchors me. Ecclesiastes reminds us that God “has made everything beautiful in its time” (Ecclesiastes 3:11), and I felt that beauty in shared meals, familiar laughter, and the ease of simply being known.

The Parts I Never Drew In

What I did not predict were the inner shifts. The recalibration. The quiet reordering of what matters most. I did not anticipate how much clarity would come from saying no more often. Or how much strength would come from not forcing answers.

Some of the most meaningful moments this year were not photogenic. They were internal. They showed up as discernment instead of decision, patience instead of productivity. As author Elizabeth Gilbert once wrote, “You are allowed to be both a masterpiece and a work in progress at the same time.” This year lived right in that tension.

Isaiah says, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 43:19). Looking back, I see it clearly now. The new thing was not always loud. It was steady. It was forming me more than impressing me.

Soul Insights

1. Fulfilled plans do not guarantee fulfillment of the soul.

Even when dreams come true, they are not meant to carry the full weight of meaning. Travel, milestones, and accomplishments are gifts, not foundations. They enrich life but do not define it. This year reminded me to enjoy the gift without confusing it for the source.

2. Growth often happens between the highlights.

The most transformative moments rarely announce themselves. They happen in ordinary days, in restraint, in reflection, and in choosing peace over performance. Those moments may not make the highlight reel, but they shape the person watching it.

3. God’s edits are rarely punitive.

When plans shifted or expectations softened, it was not loss. It was alignment. Redirection is not rejection. Often it is protection disguised as delay.

4. Familiar relationships ground expanding lives.

No matter how far life stretches outward, connection pulls us back to what is essential. Time with family reorients the heart. It reminds us who we are beneath all the movement and momentum.

5. Vision evolves when trust deepens.

The older I get, the less rigid my visions become. Not because I lack hope, but because I trust God’s imagination more than my own. This year taught me that flexibility is not a lack of faith. It is evidence of it.

Final Thoughts

So, is my life today what I pictured a year ago?

In parts, yes. And in deeper ways, no.

It is fuller. Truer. Less polished, more grounded. I recognize myself here, even if the scenery changed. And that feels like grace.

If you are asking yourself the same question, give yourself permission to answer honestly. Celebrate what arrived. Bless what changed. And trust that the unseen work matters just as much as the visible wins.

Your Turn

Take a moment today and write down three things that unfolded as planned and three things that surprised you. Ask God what each one was meant to teach you. Then step forward with open hands instead of a clenched timeline.

By the way…

If you’ve been following along with my SoulPath Insights, you may want to know that my book 17 Syllables of Me is available on Amazon—poems shaped by the same questions, prayers, and quiet reckonings.

Thank you for taking the time to read! 🤗

Soul Path Insights