New year celebrations are funny things especially when it comes to resolutions. I mean, I’m the same person at midnight as I was an hour before waiting on the ball to drop. Nothing changes just because the date does. It’s just another day, after all.
New Year Sunrise
In reality, every new day is a day we can evaluate life and make changes if we choose.
But, there’s something about resetting the clock. A fresh start. A new year full of possibility.
As Chip and Dan Heath put it in The Power of Moments, New Year resolutions really should be called “New Year absolutions.” It’s like the slate for old me is wiped clean and new me has the potential to come alive.
We’ve all tried (and failed) at resolutions before. So, I took a different approach this year. I decided to take an entire month to discover areas of change and focus for 2019 rather than determine them by brute force.
Like many of you, I’ve spent some time over the past few days reflecting on 2018 and looking ahead to 2019. Of course, there have been tough spots and low points just like any other year. Because my nature is to only focus on areas that need improvement, I’m aiming to celebrate more.
My Best Nine for 2018 on Instagram
This list took some effort and I think it’s solid. And, I feel a deep sense of gratitude. Some of these are a bit more personal. Others might seem self-congratulating. But, my hope and prayer is that through my sharing, it will inspire you to look back and find those gifts from God in your own life. We don’t deserve them, yet because of God’s generosity and love, we have the freedom to enjoy them.
I also hope it challenges you to reach higher in 2019. When I look at this list, I certainly feel that. I’m humbled and grateful but also ready to get after it.
So, without shame or qualification, I invite you to celebrate 2018 with me. Here’s my Top 100 for 2018:
I had a dream last night that someone I respected a great deal and who was “very important” gave me an unexpected gift. Flattered, I unwrapped the box and opened it to find some really nice house slippers identical to ones I already own. I was very thankful and quite deferential. Going on and on, I said something to the effect… “These are great! I’ve always wanted a pair of these. Thank you so much! These are just what I need.”
I knew I already had slippers but didn’t want to be seen as rude. So, with him watching, I reached down to try them on. And, what do I see on my feet? My slippers. I made some weak excuse and ingratiated myself with a statement about how the new ones were so much better but it was still embarrassing.
Moral of the story: Don’t look to “important” people to give you what you already have.
Several months ago, I received a call to work for a couple weeks on a commercial job. I had just finished a feature film and welcomed the change of pace. The client was a national brand and the agency needed someone local on the ground who knew the area. The inital conversation with the producer was extremely positive and I thought it would be some good fun. Besides, I didn’t have anything else going so I said, “yes.”
When the out of town production staff arrived, everything quickly changed. What was to be a challenging yet enjoyable shoot spiralled into one of the most toxic work environments I’ve ever been in. Even more than the previous project I had been on which was pretty bad.
“In spirituality we learn far more from getting it wrong than we do by getting it right.”
Richard Rohr
The Story
Last week, I heard some unsettling news. News, that if I’m honest, is really none of my business. But, since I genuinely care about those involved, my first response was one of concern. Some old friends, who I haven’t talked with in a while, are on the verge of making a huge life decision. They’re getting married. Under normal circumstances, I’d be happy for them. But in this case, I’m not. I’m troubled.
One of them has just recently gone through (and I’d say, still in the middle of) a pretty painful experience. It’s still very fresh. And so, there I am all alone at the breakfast table having this internal conversation… pleading.
“It’s too soon! You really need to heal. You’ve gotta talk this out with someone. Give it some time. You need to make sure you’ve recovered from all this stuff. Can’t either of you (or anyone close to you) see that this can’t possibly have a healthy foundation? Come on bro, this isn’t wise at this time.”
I came across this image a few weeks back and included it my daily visual inspiration. I haven’t been able to get away from it. If it’s true that “a picture says a thousand words” then this definitely qualifies.
To me, there’s so much going on here. Two friends who love what they do. Proud of what they contribute to their community. Men of meager means. No fame. But, their faces say it all.
What you value
The quality I see most in this image is contentment. You can see it in their eyes… in their smiles. Others might look on them with pity or disdain, but not me. In some sense, I envy their simplicity. In another, I’ve experienced a measure of contentment the past few years as never before.
It all has to do with what you value and what’s truly important. In ministry, it’s easy to fall into the trap of discontentment because you’re working for a “higher calling”. It’s our justification for always wanting more.
Take Inventory
Are you truly at rest?
Are you really at peace?
Is there a nagging sense that you’re not paying enough attention to the most important things like family and friendships?
Do you feel guilty when you take time for yourself?
Do you feel as though you’re never doing enough?
Are you able to stop and smile at the work of your hands?
If it’s good enough for an apostle
Take a look again at the image above. Soak it in. Slow down. Take a tip from one of the most driven figures in the Bible, Paul, when he said:
Actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally. I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.
“You don’t drown by falling in the water; you drown by staying there.”
Edwin Louis Cole
If you follow me on Twitter or are a regular reader here, then you know I’m a big fan of People of the Second Chance. Right now, they’re in the middle of a series asking the question “Who Would You Give a Second Chance?”
POTSC is launching the NEVER BEYOND Poster Series: 25 posters representing well known historical, current and fictional characters who are believed to have harmed society. This campaign consists of digital and print posters and the full collection will eventually be displayed as a touring art exhibit.
Grace is Provocative
Because they’ve included figures like Casey Anthony, Mike Tyson, Darth Vader, and a KKK Klansman, the art series is provocative to say the least. But, I don’t think it’s provocative because of the people they’re choosing to highlight. It’s provocative because radical grace itself is provocative.
“Who does God love more? The murdered or the murderer?”
