Looking Back, Moving Forward: A Midyear Reflection
07.06.26
By: Ray SaVonne
The midpoint of the year offers an opportunity to pause, reflect, and consider not just what we've accomplished, but who we've become along the way. But too often, we measure progress by milestones, achievements, and completed goals. It’s important to remember that some of the most meaningful growth happens beneath the surface. It takes place in the quiet moments when God is shaping our hearts, strengthening our faith, and teaching us to trust Him more deeply.
A couple of weeks ago, I had a dream about two things: a perfectly ripe lemon and a perfectly grown carrot. At first, the dream felt random. I couldn't understand why those two things stood out so clearly. But the more I reflected on it, the more meaningful it became.
What struck me was how differently each one grows. A lemon develops out in the open. You can watch it form on the branch and gradually mature over time. Its growth is visible for everyone to see.
A carrot, however, grows beneath the surface. Long before it's ready to be harvested, it develops underground where no one can see it. While the leaves above the soil may suggest something is happening, the most valuable part of the carrot remains hidden.
As I sat with that image, I began to see my own life in it. There have been seasons where God has allowed me to experience "lemon growth," the kind of growth that is visible and easy to celebrate like answered prayers, milestones, accomplishments, and tangible blessings.
But as I reflect on the first half of this year, I've realized much of my growth has actually looked more like a carrot.
The discipline I've built, the boundaries I've established, the trust I've developed, the healing I've experienced, and the deeper relationship I've cultivated with God weren't things that happened overnight. Much of that growth was happening beneath the surface long before I recognized it.
In many ways, that dream helped me put words to what God has been showing me all year. “Not all growth is visible.” Some of the most important work He does happens underground, where roots are strengthened before fruit appears.
Because of that dream, I've started referring to this as my personal "Carrot Season."
As I began reflecting on the first half of the year, I wanted to take an honest look at where I've been, what I've learned, and how God has been working in my life. To help guide that reflection, I asked myself these eight questions:
What prayers have been answered?
What challenges have shaped me?
Where have I seen God's faithfulness?
What is God teaching me right now?
Where have I grown since January?
What am I grateful for in this season?
What do I want to surrender to God in the months ahead?
How can I move forward with greater trust and intention?
What prayers have been answered?
So many prayers have been answered this year, but one of the biggest has been having my own apartment.
I've always had a roommate. There was comfort in knowing someone would be home and that if something happened, someone would be right there. But over time, it began weighing on my heart to pray not only for the means to have my own place, but also for the courage to take that step.
Moving into my own apartment meant putting on my big girl pants and embracing a new level of responsibility. It required me to trust myself more, trust God more, and step outside of what felt familiar and comfortable.
What started as a prayer for a place to live became something much deeper. It became a representation of the growth, independence, and maturity I've gained in both my personal life and my faith walk. It was a reminder that sometimes God answers our prayers by inviting us into a new season, one that stretches us and grows us in ways we didn't expect.
Now, as I sit in my own apartment writing this blog, I'm reminded of God's provision and faithfulness. What was once a prayer has become a reality, and I don't take that for granted.
Another meaningful answer to prayer has been developing firm boundaries. For a long time, I viewed boundaries as restrictions. Now I see them as protection. They help preserve my peace, protect my mindset, support my growth, and reinforce the self-love I've worked hard to cultivate.
Looking back, I can clearly see that God was working long before I saw the results.
What challenges have shaped you?
One of the most challenging lessons this year has been learning to relinquish control.
If I'm honest, surrender has never come naturally to me. I like having a plan. I like knowing what's next. I like certainty.
But this season has required me to trust God in ways I never have before.
There have been moments when I've wanted to take control back, figure everything out on my own, or rush ahead of God's timing. But, each time I've surrendered those desires, I've found a freedom that I wasn't expecting! There are still moments when I catch myself trying to carry burdens that were never mine to hold. The difference now is that I've learned to recognize it sooner. I've become more aware of when I'm operating from fear instead of faith, and I've learned how to realign my heart when needed.
Surrender for me is still a daily choice, but it no longer feels impossible. It feels freeing.
Where have you seen God's faithfulness?
One of the greatest expressions of God's faithfulness in my life this year has been His grace.
There have been many moments when I've fallen short, made mistakes, or become frustrated with myself. There have even been times when I've wrestled with God and struggled to understand what He was doing. But through it all, He has continually met me with compassion, patience, and grace.
Over time, I've realized that receiving God's grace doesn't just change how we see ourselves. It also changes how we see others. Extending grace to others has never come naturally to me, but the more I've understood how freely God gives it to me, the more I've been able to extend it to those around me. I've learned that everyone is carrying something and growing through something. The grace God gives us was never meant to stop with us. It was meant to flow through us.
God's faithfulness hasn't just changed how I see Him. It has changed how I see people.
What is God teaching me right now?
Patience.
More specifically, patience in trusting God's timing and His plans.
The unknown can be uncomfortable. We naturally want answers, timelines, and certainty. We want to know exactly where we're headed and how everything will unfold. But God continues to remind me that trust does not require having all the details. It is believing that He is working even when I cannot see it, and that His plans are still good even when they do not align with my timeline.
Where have I grown since January (personally, spiritually, or emotionally)?
One of the biggest areas where I've experienced growth is in my relationship with God.
I've always had a relationship with God, but this year I've realized that I would sometimes seek answers from others, (pastors/mentors/family/friends) before first bringing them to Him. While those voices are valuable and have helped shape my faith, I've learned that they are meant to point me back to God, not replace my personal seeking of Him.
My relationship with God cannot be built on secondhand faith. It has to be an intimate relationship between me and Him. No one can seek Him for me, and no one can grow my faith on my behalf. The guidance of others is a gift, but it cannot take the place of my own time with God, my own prayers, and my own personal pursuit of Him.
I've learned to hold both truths at once. Community is important, but intimacy with God is personal.
I've always been a dreamer and believe that God speaks to me through my dreams and quiet moments throughout my day. Because of that, I've become more intentional about going to Him first, listening more closely, and discerning what He is saying to me in those moments before seeking outside confirmation.
This has deepened my confidence in what I already had with Him and strengthened my ability to walk it out personally rather than through the lens of others.
What am I grateful for in this season?
I'm grateful for grace.
Not only God's grace toward me, but my ability to extend grace to myself.
For years, it was easy to view shortcomings as failures. I've learned that mistakes don't have to become reasons for self-doubt, and setbacks don't have to define the story. God can use both to teach, refine, and strengthen us if we're willing to learn from them.
That shift in perspective has been one of the greatest gifts of this season.
What do I want to surrender to God in the months ahead?
As I look toward the second half of the year, there are still things I'm placing in God's hands.
I'm surrendering my future plans, especially as I consider a career pivot and what that next season may look like.
I'm also surrendering my desire to find a Christ-centered community and sisterhood. While I don't know exactly how or when God will provide those relationships, I trust that He knows the desires of my heart and is faithful in His timing.
Instead of striving to force doors open, I'm choosing to trust the One who knows exactly where they lead.
How can I move forward with greater trust and intention?
As I enter the second half of the year, I want to continue choosing faith over uncertainty and surrender over control.
I want to remain patient and trust that God is working even when I can’t see the full picture. I want to stay committed to the boundaries, discipline, and habits that have helped me grow. Most importantly, I want to remain open to wherever God leads me next.
Looking Forward
The midyear reflection reminds us the story isn't finished. There is still room for growth, healing, unexpected blessings, and new beginnings.
As I continue through my “Carrot Season,” I'm reminded that growth doesn't have to be visible to be real. Sometimes God is developing strength before opportunity, character before promotion, trust before clarity, and faith before the harvest.
As we step into the second half of the year, my prayer is that we spend less time focusing on what hasn't happened yet and more time recognizing what God may already be growing beneath the surface.
So today, I invite you to take a moment to pause and reflect:
What prayers have been answered?
What challenges have shaped you?
Where have you seen God's faithfulness?
What is God teaching you right now?
Where have you grown since January (personally, spiritually, or emotionally)?
What are you grateful for in this season?
What do you want to surrender to God in the months ahead?
How can you move forward with greater trust and intention?
You may discover that God has been growing more in your life than you realized. And if you're in a carrot season too, take heart. Growth is happening, even when you can't see it yet!
XO,
The Kléi
