Make me to know Your ways, O Lord. Teach me Your paths. Ps. 25:4
It seems impossible to me that it is time to usher in a brand new year! Of all my many years, this is the first time I can ever remember being joyful about the end of a year! This year of our Lord 2020 has afforded us all challenges we never in our lifetime thought possible. Through it all, we have stayed faithful and most of us can find blessings even in the tragedies and hard times.
We are now standing on the threshold of a brand new year of the unknown. A new year that brings uncertainty, changes, experiences, and needs. Who knows what we will find as we move through it? We can’t see what loss, sorrows, or trials lay before us, but we can know for certain that God is with us through it as He has been in the past.
This year in place of the usual resolutions to lose weight, exercise and improve my life (most of which I don’t seem to be able to keep anyway), my New Years Resolutions are many, but there are two on which I want to improve! The number one resolution for me this year is to get out of the comfort zones or ruts in my life, and encourage those around me to do the same. The second resolution for this year is to find the joy in life and all the circumstances surrounding it.
Two of the biggest fears in life are failure and criticism. No matter how hard we try to overcome them, they have a habit of showing up when we think of branching out of our comfort zone. If we think back on times we have branched out and risked failure and criticism, we learn that most times failure doesn’t do any permanent damage – it actually makes us stronger.
An unknown poet once wrote: I used to have a comfort zone where I knew I couldn’t fail; the same four walls of busywork were really more like jail. I longed to do some things I’d never done before, but I stayed inside my comfort zone and paced the same old floor. I said it didn’t matter that I wasn’t doing much, I said I didn’t care for things like dreams and goals and such. I claimed to be so busy with things inside my zone, but deep inside I longed for something special of my own. I couldn’t let my life go by just watching others win; I held my breath and stepped outside and let the change begin. I took a step, and with new strength I’d never felt before, I kissed my comfort zone goodbye, then closed and locked the door.
The last year has presented many opportunities to lose the joy in life. Many of us have lost relatives, dear friends, cherished church members, and prayed with those who have experienced and are experiencing COVID first hand. We have sequestered, quarantined, worn masks, and socially distanced. We have hoarded toilet paper, paper towel, cleaning supplies, and food. We have lived in fear of the virus, and we have, on occasion, allowed it to suck the joy out of our lives.
This year, it is my goal to replace the fear with joy. Just like the angel said, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. Luke 2:10 In the midst of the fear of 2020, we only had to look, and there was joy everywhere. Everyone has experienced joy if we only go back and recall special times.
Our joy was evident as our extended family celebrated weddings, we rejoiced at the birth of a much anticipated child, we got together at the lake and held a mini family reunion, we met new and interesting people walking, we watched children learn to ride bikes, we celebrated seeing other friends on Zoom, we lit candles in a group of friends while singing Silent Night on Christmas Eve, we spent Thanksgiving and Christmas with family, we reached out to those sequestered and laughed and talked, we have celebrated the little things in life, we’ve found new interests and began new traditions, we rejoiced at news of a vaccine, we learned that most things are unimportant, and we have learned patience knowing God will provide.
As we usher in with the new, there will always be memories, both sad and happy, of the old year, but we must always look for the joy.
Oswald Chambers said it best, this year be willing to do those things that seem unimportant in human estimation but count as everything to God.
Happy New Year and remember, Heaven is not beyond the clouds, it’s just beyond the fear. Garth Brooks
I love every word you wrote! We have to look for the good even when everything around us looks pretty bad! However with God’s help we have survived this year and with his help I believe next year will be better!