New Year's Resolutions . . . often they are made with the best of intentions. We want the new year to be better in some way than the previous year. But, how often do we get to the end of January and find that we have not kept any of them? And as we look at that list of things we intended to do, but failed to do for even one month, it is pretty easy to get completely discouraged.
As I was reflecting on 2010 and looking ahead to 2011 in the last couple of weeks, I found myself looking at New Year's Resolutions in a different way than I have in the past. Rather than making a list of things I wanted to change for 2011 that I would try to do on my own, I asked God what He wanted for me in the coming year. Out of that came a much shorter list. A list that seems must easier to manage for a year, but is in many ways more difficult than what I would have put on the list myself. The difference is that I know that God wants me to do this and that He will be the One who makes me able to do this. I cannot do it on my own. That I know, from my attempts at New Year's Resolutions in the past. But, with God directing this one I know that I can.
Having this one thing that I know God has for me in this coming year does not mean that I am not open to anything else God may bring my way. As I reflected on 2010, there were many things that God brought to me that I never would have guessed and that were challenging, but were worth embracing with God. I know that 2011 will be the same. God will bring things my way that I have no idea about now, and if He told me about them now, I would probably do my best to avoid them. But, when they come, it will be the right timing.
Maybe you are one of those people who refuses to make New Year's Resolutions anymore because you have never kept them before. And, really, who wants to get to the end of January (or sooner) and feel like they have failed because they have not kept nay of their New Year's Resolutions. But, maybe, you can stop and ask God for one thing that He has for you this year.
Having just one thing does not necessarily mean that it will be easier than any other year has been. When we are following through with what God wants for us, that can seem more difficult if we try to do it in our own strength. But, with God, it is do-able.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Christmas expectations
The last few days I have found myself not really looking forward to Christmas for reasons I did not know at first. It was not that I dreaded it. There just seemed to be the anticipation of it missing from the week leading up to Christmas. I just felt a little bit down and unexcited about the whole thing.
In the last few days I have realized that my feelings came down to expectations I have of Christmas and knowing that they will not all be met this year. For me, the best part of Christmas and what I most look forward to is the time with people - time with my family, people I care about.
Christmas has many traditions on my family . . .
. . . making crepes together on Christmas morning. Multiple crepe makers going, syrup being made, fruit sauces being prepared, bacon or sausage frying, my Mom, both my sisters, and I together in the kitchen bumping into one another as we work to get everything ready.
. . . opening our stockings right away when we get up. As kids it was how my parents got a little extra sleep on Christmas morning; we could open our stockings as soon as we got up and then we would play with what we found there until later in the morning when Mom and Dad were up to open the gifts under the tree.
. . . going to a Christmas Eve service at church followed by a lasagna dinner with my family.
. . . a big family Christmas dinner at my grandparents' in the late afternoon.
. . . my whole family being together on Christmas day . . . Dad, Mom, both of my sisters, and me.
Over the years, those traditions have become expectations about Christmas, and this year it will not all happen. Things will look different from the Christmases I remember growing up. I know this is the reality of growing older, but I do not really want to let go of those traditions.
And so, I found myself in the last few days having to adjust my expectations for Christmas. I do not have to forget about the traditions of my family growing up and in a different way many of those things will still be included, albeit at different times or missing some important people.
But, while there is nothing wrong with any of the traditions my family has had, the problem comes when they become an expectation of Christmas that I hold in such high regard I feel like I cannot celebrate Christmas without them. Family is important. But, the real reason for celebrating at Christmas is to take the time to acknowledge God coming to earth - the greatest gift of all.
Maybe, like me, you find yourself not really looking forward to Christmas this year. But, as we stop to really reflect on what Christmas is about, those traditions remain just that, traditions. We do not make them expectations that set us up for despair because they do not take the place of what is truly important.
Maybe it is time to stop and take the time to truly reflect on the reason why we celebrate.
In the last few days I have realized that my feelings came down to expectations I have of Christmas and knowing that they will not all be met this year. For me, the best part of Christmas and what I most look forward to is the time with people - time with my family, people I care about.
Christmas has many traditions on my family . . .
. . . making crepes together on Christmas morning. Multiple crepe makers going, syrup being made, fruit sauces being prepared, bacon or sausage frying, my Mom, both my sisters, and I together in the kitchen bumping into one another as we work to get everything ready.
. . . opening our stockings right away when we get up. As kids it was how my parents got a little extra sleep on Christmas morning; we could open our stockings as soon as we got up and then we would play with what we found there until later in the morning when Mom and Dad were up to open the gifts under the tree.
. . . going to a Christmas Eve service at church followed by a lasagna dinner with my family.
. . . a big family Christmas dinner at my grandparents' in the late afternoon.
. . . my whole family being together on Christmas day . . . Dad, Mom, both of my sisters, and me.
Over the years, those traditions have become expectations about Christmas, and this year it will not all happen. Things will look different from the Christmases I remember growing up. I know this is the reality of growing older, but I do not really want to let go of those traditions.
And so, I found myself in the last few days having to adjust my expectations for Christmas. I do not have to forget about the traditions of my family growing up and in a different way many of those things will still be included, albeit at different times or missing some important people.
But, while there is nothing wrong with any of the traditions my family has had, the problem comes when they become an expectation of Christmas that I hold in such high regard I feel like I cannot celebrate Christmas without them. Family is important. But, the real reason for celebrating at Christmas is to take the time to acknowledge God coming to earth - the greatest gift of all.
Maybe, like me, you find yourself not really looking forward to Christmas this year. But, as we stop to really reflect on what Christmas is about, those traditions remain just that, traditions. We do not make them expectations that set us up for despair because they do not take the place of what is truly important.
Maybe it is time to stop and take the time to truly reflect on the reason why we celebrate.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
the gift of presence
In church this morning our pastor was talking about the gift of the incarnation - of Jesus coming to earth. In Jesus coming to earth, He came near and gave humanity the gift of His presence. Through Jesus on earth, God become approachable and accessible. He was no longer a distant being who required certain ceremonies to cleanse yourself before entering His Temple, and rarely, His actual presence. Because of the Jesus' incarnation, we are able to enter in to relationship with God. What an amazing gift to receive!
This is also a gift that we can give to our families and our friends. The gift of being present in their lives . . . of not being glued to our phone, our MP3 player, our TV, our computer. We can put all those things that our culture says we need to the side and give our attention, our focus, our time, our energy to the people in our lives. We can give the gift of our presence whether we have lots of money or no money. Being present with someone does not require finances, but it does require time and energy. But, the rewards of that sacrifice of time and energy will be worth it in the end.
This is also a gift that we can give to our families and our friends. The gift of being present in their lives . . . of not being glued to our phone, our MP3 player, our TV, our computer. We can put all those things that our culture says we need to the side and give our attention, our focus, our time, our energy to the people in our lives. We can give the gift of our presence whether we have lots of money or no money. Being present with someone does not require finances, but it does require time and energy. But, the rewards of that sacrifice of time and energy will be worth it in the end.
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