Well, here it is December 31st and I’m not sure what I think about that. Time passes so quickly and in some ways it makes me sad. I see my aging mother and in-laws, my baby girl who is now a wife and my cotton-top boy who is now a man. That’s not a bad thing. In fact, it is a good thing. Time just passes. It’s life. While I’m not big on resolutions, let’s just say I’m pondering some changes in my lifestyle.
I want to de-clutter my life. I want to get rid of the stuff I don’t need and give it to someone who does need it. Much to my husband’s dismay, I seem to want to keep everything. “I really might need that someday,” I tell him. And he gives me that look as to say, “I don’t think so, please get rid of this stuff or I’m going to put it in my truck during the night and take it to an undisclosed location where you will never, ever see it again.” Excuse me for a moment while I look up the definition of paranoid.
I want to read more. I want to know more. When I think about all of the things I don’t know, well, that’s humbling. I want to read about the lives of people I admire. I want to read about subjects I don’t know much about. Would you believe that my 80-something year old mother still reads the encyclopedias? She has a set that I think, no kidding, are from the 70s but she says, “most of what’s in here doesn’t change – not historical events or people, not science, not dates or places.” You know, she probably has a point. Does that make you think of a book that never changes? That still remains current, relevant, and sharper than a double-edge sword? One I need to continue to delve into every single day.
I want to give more to others . . . whatever this looks like. Whether it be time, encouraging words, talents or financial resources. I want to be more intentional about using the gifts and talents that God has given me. It’s all His anyway. I just want to be a good steward of what He has entrusted to me. I will never forget the first words from Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Life: “It’s not all about you.” When I first read that, I thought, well, no kidding. Any decent, responsible person who has ever tried to parent a child for more than five minutes can tell you that one. But there’s more, so much more. Please read carefully this first paragraph from that same book:
“The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. It’s far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born by his purpose and for his purpose.”
And I want to listen more. I want to listen more carefully to what my husband says to me. You know sometimes when your loved one is talking about grocery carts, coffin cases (those are those frozen food cases that are long and open at the top – creepy right?), u.p.c.’s; a.w.g.; h.b.c. – oh, have mercy. But, I know it’s important to him and thus to me, so I will listen more carefully. He deserves that from me. Listen to my children – not just to what they say, but what they don’t say and what I see in their eyes and on their faces. Listen to my friends – to their hearts. I want to not offer advice to family or friends until I hear them out completely and until I’m asked. Okay, I’ll try. I’ll really try.
So, as we end 2009, let’s look forward in anticipation of what God has for us in 2010. I’ll leave you today with this passage from Matthew 6:32-34 from The Message:
“If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.
Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. “
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