Soul Renewal: The Ultimate Transformation for the New Year

By Kimberly Kralovic

Soul Renewal: The Ultimate Transformation for the New Year

 by Kimberly Kralovic

For years, I craved a new life. Over and over, I’d pray, "God, please give me peace and a new way of life." At times, I wondered if he even heard me.

In childhood, I remember the inklings of anxiety and the darkness of depression. I didn't possess an ounce of confidence because I always felt different. I never felt good enough; in fact, I always felt like the ugliest and dumbest—and most certainly the one with the most annoying personality and voice. I still remember the sheer emptiness that enveloped me in every room of confident and cheerful people I encountered. 

Even today, as I pen these words, I am haunted by those heavy feelings: my brain would grow foggy, my shoulders would tense, and I’d hold my breath—for what I do not know. Every time someone would glance my way, I’d look down, shielding my face from the world. And I didn't dare peep a word for fear of being seen—or worse, being known. There were times I wished I could run away. Other times, I wished I had never been born.

I wanted to live a life away from these struggles, but I didn’t know how. Above all, I wanted a revival—not just survival. 

Season after season, year after year, I felt misunderstood—by friends, colleagues, and even family—like I spoke a secret language no one else could understand. It felt like no one else on earth could feel my suffering or sense my crippling fear. It was a lot like an impending doom, which was the only way I could describe life then. I was waiting: waiting for the other shoe to drop, waiting for disaster to strike, and waiting for everything to change.

Mentally, emotionally, and physically, my little world was almost too much to bear. 

I was worn and stuck in the rampant fight-or-flight cycle. Anxiety became my primary fuel source and kept me oscillating between pain and confusion. More than anything, I wanted God to grant me the desires of my heart I felt so profoundly. I wanted a life do-over. I wanted to be made new.  

Then came the bedridden months after scoliosis surgery, filled with more uncertainty and breathing treatments. Although I had my fair share of trauma and struggles and good reason to struggle more, I finally had optimism throughout the healing process. God had given me tiny nudges to cling onto, and I could finally breathe. 

It was almost as if I needed the added darkness to find the light.

At 18, for once, I had hope and the chance at a new life—the ultimate renewal.

… 

Since then, God has given me many more dark seasons laced in light.

I recently had a new growing season filled with turmoil and surrendering, and God revived my life in full force. After having survived another whirlwind health journey and major life changes, I finally feel at ease. Today, I live with a certainty and an unwavering faith like I've never experienced. Enormous peace floods my heart—a peace that feels indescribable and holy. His peace is constant and true, even when my circumstances are not. 

Anxiety may come and go in smaller doses, but the heaviness no longer sinks my soul like an anchor as it did during those dark days in my youth. 

God gave me the gift of peace and the new life I so desperately yearned for. It wasn’t overnight. It wasn’t easy. But it came.

Today, Jesus is the backbone and centerpiece in my average yet one-of-a-kind, glorious life—a reality I never want to forget. 

God's love and peace can orchestrate the ultimate transformation.

Maybe you're experiencing anxiety or aching with grief or sadness in this season. Perhaps you're craving heavenly healing in your everyday spaces. You struggle to wake up in the morning or do anything productive. The thought of new rhythms and routines excites your soul, yet you feel stuck or worn beyond repair. 

I hear you, and so does God.

Regardless of the mental fight we experience here on earth, renewal is possible. Change is possible. And a new way of life is possible. We never know when God will prevail and replenish. It may take patience, vulnerability, strength, and energy to muster through the madness, but He can make a way. And He's holding our hands in the trenches. 

Our rock-bottom moments may seem like the end of the world, but the truth will set us free, and our testimonies will set others free.

You're not alone if you're in a struggling season or ready to embark on a new chapter. It's easy to feel discouraged or like you need to be more capable. That's especially true if you've endured trauma or feel like life has handed you the wrong deck of cards. But I'm here to tell you this today: you're safe, okay, heard, and loved in this new year. You always were, and you always will be. Your worth is nonnegotiable.

Psalm 139 reminds us that we are wonderfully and fearfully made:

For you created my inmost being;

    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

    your works are wonderful,

    I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you

    when I was made in the secret place,

    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed body;

    all the days ordained for me were written in your book

    before one of them came to be.

How precious to me are your thoughts, God!

    How vast is the sum of them!

Were I to count them,

    they would outnumber the grains of sand—

    when I awake, I am still with you.

Read it again, and let it soak in. Let God unveil His burning love, devotion, and incredible peace. Our mental and physical trials can lead to a spiritual awakening—God can create miracles of any size—be it a new job, a healthy body, or even the unshakable faith to face a difficult job or a broken body.

Will you believe it?  

No matter what you are facing, here are some truths you can cling to in the new year as you seek your own renewal:

God Can Heal

If you're craving change, renewal, or a new rhythm, dive into those feelings. Ask God to overcome your heart and take action. Ask him to reveal to you the many paths to your healing. It's always possible to ignite your faith even if you only have a shred left. Second chances and the beautiful healing only God can orchestrate are tangible things we can cling to. 

Release Your Soul

If you're feeling heavy, you may need to release pent-up emotions. Perhaps it's a need to release guilt, shame, negative beliefs, or toxic patterns. Maybe you need to write through your pain. Maybe you need medication or therapy or to crack open a new book. Pray, meditate on His word, and make time for the Lord. He will direct your path. 

Recognize the Patterns

Next, recognize what is and isn't working in your life. From boundaries, health, and relationships to time management, work, and everything in between, every aspect matters. Think of your life as a pie chart or a magnificent puzzle. If one piece is off, lost, or distorted, it's harder to maintain stability overall. You won’t feel whole. Look for the patterns that are hurting you or denying your wholeness. Then reconfigure them, and you'll then recognize what's healthy and unhealthy. Perhaps you aren't living true to your purpose if something or someone is holding you back, and if you realign yourself to God’s call and a commitment to new patterns, you’ll finally be able to claim renewal. 

Make the Change

Write out short and long-term goals. What do you want to accomplish? How can you steward your gifts? What's God guiding you toward? It's also important to consider a work-life balance that functions best for you. What are the steps to achieving "success" based on your priorities? A simple task like waking up early or creating a to-do list the night prior can provoke long-lasting changes, propelling you forward.

Your Next Steps

Life is not—nor will it ever be—perfect. And working on your mental health is never-ending. But you can always trust God will provide. He's with you in the middle of the storm and holding you in His arms in a lonely season. That's not to say you won't ever have mental health struggles—or other struggles for that matter—as a believer. We're human, we're complex, and we're fallible. But there's always time to start a new beginning.

It's time to let renewal breathe excitement, steadiness, and peace into our lungs. Trust He will make a way. 

For He promises us this: "Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert (Isaiah 43:19).”

There is a way in the wilderness—a path to a true soul renewal. What more do we need?

KIMBERLY KRALOVIC

ASSISTANT EDITOR & CONTRIBUTOR

Kimberly is a writer and an advocate for mental health. Previous work includes writing for A Wife Like Me, Dawn, Calla Press, and many others, including The Way Back to Ourselves. Her purpose is to ignite hope in the hearts of others, despite their struggles. She currently resides in Northwest Ohio with her husband.

You can find Kimberly on Instagram @kimberlykralovic, where she is busy writing and sharing beautiful content that points her audience toward God’s love and the perfect hope we have in our Father.