Happy “No” Year

Happy “No” Year   “This is going to be my year, I just know it!”   Last time I said this, I ended up having one of the roughest years of my life. I lost a dear friend, had a couple of mini-health crises, and ended up on the doorstep of what I was sure was certain divorce.   Needless to say, it was not my year.   I’m not sure why we do this to ourselves at the start of a New Year. I mean really- what makes January 1st so much more promising than December 31st? Or June 24th for that matter?   I’ve been a longtime opposer of New Year’s Resolutions. I mean really- aren’t they about as useful as a two-legged chair? Rather than seeking true growth, we often bully and beat ourselves up all for the sake of an otherwise arbitrary day (see more on what makes for a successful New Year’s Resolution).   Yet still, I have gotten swept up in the emotion of the changing of the year. I realize now that my biggest mistake has been dedicating anything (let alone an entire year) as a monument to…well, myself.   As I look back on that seemingly ill-fated year, I think how God must have chuckled at my narcissism. One failure after another forced me to give up on my foolish intentions, crumbling into a heaping pile at His feet. Despite the troubles I faced, what a blessing to re-experience His abundant grace and healing when I decided to come back home.   An suddenly all that “no” I was experiencing turned into a world of “yes.”   While I might not choose to experience that year again, I ultimately developed a trust in God deeper than what previously existed. I no longer saw challenges but rather imagined myself on a journey, taking note of God’s efforts to change my heart through each trial. I became stronger, more assured in His love for me. And again, I was reminded:  

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (ESV, emphasis mine)

  So as we start another year, I humbly re-dedicate it to God’s purpose and ask that He continue His good work in me, that it might be His year…   …and that maybe next time, I won’t need such a hefty reminder to get me back on track!   Happy New Year!!