A Fresh Start

There is nothing quite like the start to a New Year. I don't really get into celebrating the coming of the New Year too much. Just a night out with some friends is really enough. I can do without the headache from too much champagne the night before! It's an accomplishment for me to make it too midnight. What I like about the turning of the calendar to the New Year is the sense that we get a chance to start anew. The sense that there is the whole year ahead of you and you can do things better this year. No matter what has happened the past year you get a chance to make some promises, or resolutions, that you'll do better this time around. What an awesome opportunity.

Of course about 2 to 4 weeks later reality sets in and the "new" year begins to look a lot like the past year only with you getting older. How many promises, or resolutions (I really dislike that word), have we kept? If you are like me....none. Oh, if I'm lucky I'll make it a month or two eating better and exercising regularly, but pretty soon old habits creep back in. Maybe we should be singing "old habits be forgot" instead of "old acquaintances be forgot." That to me would be a better New Year song. Just making a promise, or resolution, doesn't do any good of course. You need to make some concrete changes if you really want this year to be different. I am not about to offer any advice on how to do that since I'm no shining example myself, but what I do want to touch on is how God offers us a fresh start AND the power to change every day.

Just as the beginning of a new year can spark a sense of hope and renewal in us God offers that same hope and forgiveness for past misgivings no matter what time of year it is. God is always ready to listen to a repentant heart. God is always ready to forgive us. Maybe most importantly of all God is always ready to help us become a better person. God is always ready and willing...the trick is are we. It takes some guts to pour out our failings to God, and it takes even more faith to earnestly want God to work on us and change us. When we truly allow God to work in our lives then we are giving God control of what happens. We don't like giving up control. But, if we really want our lives to change then we need to let God work on us. We don't have the strength to do it, or at least I don't. We need the help of the Spirit, and we need to be willing to let the Spirit grind down the rough edges. If we truly let God work on us, then the changes will be concrete and everlasting. The hard part of course is letting go and letting God. Take the spirit and hope of this new year and open yourself up to the calling of the Spirit. You'll be amazed at what promises, or resolutions, you can keep!