Now wait, are you one of the ones thinking right now; "Sasha I am not worried about a facelift for 2014. Or resolutions. Or goals. Or One Word! Ya you know what I am talking about. The one word resolution instead of making real resolutions. Nope not interested. That was so yesterday." Or are you the one thinking, "I have goals or facelift ideas, but I don't need a new year to force me to state them or write them down."
You see, I would venture to guess many of you are on one of those tracks. The new year, schmew year, roll your eyes and cross your arms track. You see these donuts? Well I am eating another one! and I am going to keep eating them into the new year!
Ok I know I am taking it a little far, but this is the cynic attitude I have heard recently and I am here today to challenge you to maybe think twice. Even I was kind of on that track over the last two years when I morphed to my one word theme. For the record, I like the one word theme and if anyone was wondering my word for 2014 is "Content", but I also like the resolution theme and the goal theme and the "it's a new year and time to make some changes" theme. Or at least think about them anyway.
This morning Zeb and I did church at home. In fact, since Thanksgiving we have been doing church at home and watching Lifechurch.tv online. There hasn't been any real reason other than maybe just being too tired to actually dress ourselves and make it out the door by 9:30, so PJ's, french press coffee, and our couch have made a great alternative. There were three weeks of a series called "Fear Not" by Craig and this morning featured guest speaker, Christine Cain, in a one week series about the "Maker of Miracles". The four weeks have been both engaging and convicting. Sometimes I believe there are reasons the Lord has you visit other avenues to hear his word. I believe I needed to hear what was said over the last month.
So what does this have to do with the new year and whether or not you should consider making resolutions? Well there were a few themes to the series, but one that spoke so clearly to me. Small steps make big differences. The small things matter. The lull between the miracles are where the growth happens. The magic is only a moment, everything else is in the making.
2014 doesn't need to start with a laundry list of all the reasons you need to do better and be better. It doesn't need to include 10 things you will forget you were trying to accomplish by February. It doesn't need to be about letting your image, job, friends, or lack of dictate what defines 2014. However, I would challenge you to think about the coming year and what it could amount to. I would challenge you to think about what small changes could take place to make big differences in your world. And then call them what makes you comfortable.
If you wanna hear the cynic in me, I believe our society is falling apart because we have forgotten the value of small steps. We think goals for the new year are silly. We have become so incredibly unhealthy because we don't value the small things like a few minutes outdoors to get the heart pumping and moderating our intake of "the good stuff". We don't pick up the phone for an awkward 5 minute conversation with the long lost friend or relative in hopes of one day creating a special bond that will make 5 hours feel like 5 minutes. We don't stick out the small spaces or old things until we can afford the bigger and better. Instead, we go broke dying to keep up with the Jones' or the crowd on Facebook. I am not preaching here folks, these are all things I need to hear too.
I recently attended the funeral of a man I never knew. His son is good friends with my husband, but I never actually met him. However, as I sat in that sanctuary for almost 2 hours I learned a lot through the stories of people that loved him. There were two common themes in his service. He worked hard and you never doubted the love he had for his family or anyone who crossed his path. He greeted everyone with a big smile and a firm handshake. He loved talking on the phone with people to check in on them. He valued the time with his family and made special memories through things that required more than an electronic source. Friends, I believe he knew the value of smalls steps and big differences. I wanted to know that man by the time I left that church.
Two more things I came across recently through social media and then I am closing it up.
"I hope you press talk more than you press send this year."
"Relative gather from across the country to stare at screens together."
It may seem as if nothing I just wrote goes together, but I believe it is a ripple effect. The apathetic ripple of not needing to write down a resolution has drifted into our everyday life. We have less heart and motive behind our actions because we are consumed with things that are temporary.
All I am trying to encourage is a more intentional thought process for the new year. I am encouraging you to write down some resolutions and when you are doing it to know that it is today and this small step of putting the pen to the paper that could make the big difference for 2014.
Happy New Year!
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