my plan for tonight was to hang out around the house and then write a nice little “2009 recap” post for the second of my four posts in four days goal. i was all ready to start writing when my phone rang.

“hey. what are you doing.”
“just laying in bed. might even go to bed pretty early.”
“well i have free tickets to see switchfoot tonight. they play at 10:30. thousand foot krutch plays at 9:30.”
“holy crap. thousand foot krutch? that’s straight out of ninth grade. heck yeah i’m going.”

so that’s where i spent my night – at a thousand foot krutch and switchfoot concert.

and i guess that alone can sum up 2009 for me.

last year, there’s no chance i would’ve gotten out of bed, gotten dressed, and gone to a concert randomly. i was too stuck on my own problems. i was too swallowed up in my own depression. i wasn’t a fun person to be around.

on december 22, 2008, i had lunch with my grandma. on that day, she told me that 2009 was going to be my year. she told me that i was going to get over all of the stuff that was holding me down at the time. she told me i was going to get back to being who i really am. she told me that god was going to do something pretty special for me in 2009.

i didn’t believe her at the time, but at 12:36 am on new year’s eve, i realize that she was right.

if i had to name 2009 like the chinese do, i’d name it “the year of me.” while that sounds self-centered and maybe even egotistical, let me explain.

in 2009, i got back to being the person that i’ve always been. even more than that, god took who i truly was and started shaping and forming that into something that i had no clue that i could become. god has changed my heart and my mind more in the past year than any other year in my 23 years on this earth.

this time last year there’s no chance i would set $6 aside every week to give to save a girl from sexual slavery in thailand.

this time last year there’s no chance i would consider leading a community group at my church.

this time last year i was someone that i simply didn’t like.

luckily 2009 happened and changed all of that.

luckily my grandmother was right.

and luckily, i get another year to build on it.

say your prayers and take your vitamins.

have a nice day.

and i’ll see you guys in 2010.

-jonathan