Are you ready?

The last day of this year, poised in just a few hours to usher out the Old and welcome in the New, gives opportunity to reflect over the last 365 days. Some words that come to mind are: remember, regret, rejoice, reflect and resolve.

Remember all the parts of your journey this last year- the most difficult, the most treasured, the losses, the gains, lessons learned, lessons you wished you had learned, triumphs, sadnesses, the people, the circumstances, the opportunities taken, the ones missed.

The last day of this year, poised in just a few hours to usher out the Old and welcome in the New, gives opportunity to reflect over the last 365 days. Some words that come to mind are: remember, regret, rejoice, reflect and resolve.

Remember all the parts of your journey this last year- the most difficult, the most treasured, the losses, the gains, lessons learned, lessons you wished you had learned, triumphs, sadnesses, the people, the circumstances, the opportunities taken, the ones missed.

Regret can be a constructive process if not wallowed in. What do you regret that you wish you could do differently in the New Year given opportunity to “do over”? Do you wish you could slow down and enjoy the moments more? Do you wish you had called your friend, your mom, your neighbor, you put in the name, more or at all? Would you have spent more time on the “good part” that Jesus said Mary had chosen in Luke 10? Would you have exercised more, eaten less, given away more?

Rejoice over all God has done for you, in you and through you. When we get intentional in this exercise of “remembering” we begin to notice His hand of blessing everywhere. The list goes on and on and on. It gives Him such deep pleasure when we thank Him for all He is. His presence alone calls for huge praise because He promised that He would never leave us or forsake us. He has been with you each moment of this last year – whether you acknowledged it or were aware of it or not.

Reflect is a necessary ingredient to fully engage in living authentically. Mull it over. Lay it before the Lord for His gracious light of love to illumine. Ask Him what He wants you to see and take from this last year. What does He want you to learn? What does He want to give you? What does He want you to receive from Him?

Resolve after all of the above is the chance to start over. It is a new beginning, a fresh start, a clean slate. It is entering in with the presence and empowerment of God’s Spirit to the next stage of the journey with determination and grace and anticipation. Choose one or two or even three things that would give you great delight to see happen in the New Year and resolve with God’s grace to make it happen.

“And now, let us welcome the New Year, full of things that have never been.” Rainer Maria Rilke