Finishing the Year Well: From Pressure to Peace, From Worry to Worship

A calendar filled with love

I don’t know about you, but this time of year has a way of sneaking up on me.

Maybe it’s the cold settling in — I’m not exactly a winter girl.

Maybe it’s the inbox full of “Finish Strong!” messages.

Maybe it’s the questions that swirl around like snow:

Did I do everything I said I would do this year?

Did I lose the weight?

Save the money?

Grow the business?

Heal the relationship?

And if I’m honest…I get tired just thinking about it.

There’s a part of me that wants to quit right here — every December — because the pressure of what I didn’t accomplish can feel louder than the progress I did make.

This weekend, though, something shifted in me.

At our church, Jubilee Fellowship Church, we’re in a sermon series called “It Was Never About…” — and it has been one of the most profound Christmas series I’ve ever experienced.

We are walking slowly through the arrival of Jesus — His humble entrance, His redeeming purpose, His relentless love — and rediscovering that Christmas is not about what we must achieve, but about what God already fulfilled.

And then, we had the gift of hearing from one of my favorite worship artists, Rita Springer. If you haven’t listened to her — prepare your heart. The Holy Spirit moves through her voice in a way that makes the presence of God feel like the warmest blanket you’ve ever wrapped around your soul.

Rita spoke about God’s timing — those seasons where we pray and long and wait…and wait…and wait some more. She shared her own stories of disappointment and the stretching tension of faith, reminding us:

God’s timing is never late.

It’s always loving.

Always purposeful.

Always worth the wait.

And suddenly I was right back in the memories of my own story…

Years of battling depression and believing I was too broken to ever feel whole.

Years of praying through a marriage where hope seemed paper-thin…until God showed up with a miracle so stunning that I still can hardly believe the relationship my husband and I have today.

Right now, I’m in another waiting season — praying for loved ones who have stepped away from a personal relationship with God. There are moments when my own faith feels fragile. I pray, I believe, I wait — and sometimes I wonder.

But then I remember…

God’s pursuit does not pause.

His love does not run out.

His redemption does not get tired.

He is working in ways I cannot see yet.

He is writing chapters I don’t get to peek at early.

And just as Christmas tells us — His timing is always the perfect timing.

When Worry Rises, Turn It Into Worship

Maybe, instead of asking:

“Did I finish strong enough?”

“Did I do enough?”

“Am I enough?”

…God is inviting us into a different posture:

✨ Lay the pressure down.

✨ Release the timeline.

✨ Turn every anxious thought into worship.

Because finishing the year well isn’t about hustle —It’s about trust.

Not: “Did I reach the goal?”

But: “Did I stay with Jesus in the journey?”

Not: “Did everything go right?

”But: “Was I willing to rest in His love, even when I didn’t understand?”

The miracle of Christmas isn’t that Jesus came quickly—it’s that He came right on time.

A Final Encouragement for Your Heart

Friend, if you’ve been praying for a long time…If you’re holding onto a promise that feels like it’s taking forever…If you’re ending this year weary instead of triumphant…

Don’t quit.

Don’t lose heart.

Don’t stop believing that God is still moving.

Rest and receive what the Father has for you in this season.

Worship while you wait — not because answers have come yet,but because the Answer came near in Jesus.

His timing may feel slow — but it is not delayed.His love is already on the move.And His story for you is still unfolding in glory.

Scripture to hold onto:

“At just the right time, Christ died for the ungodly.”Romans 5:6

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise…”2 Peter 3:9

If you want to hear Rita Springer’s message from Jubilee Fellowship, go check it out. https://www.youtube.com/live/SswID4fQx-o?si=sKUVoS7R_TK4XGfx

Listen to her music. https://youtu.be/E3v-7pusPhk?si=bF0O-CE9Y6eZR_Wx

Let God meet you in the waiting.

Here’s to finishing the year not with striving —but with surrender.

Not with fear —but with faith.

Not with pressure —but with praise.

Right on time.

Right where He has you.

Perfectly held.

Shel Dammann

Rhythms of Grace Life Coaching