New Years Eve has always been one of my very favorite holidays. I love a fresh start. I love that feeling you get when everything is new, and the new year is full of hope and possibilities. It is easy to start the year off with all its mystery and purity. We haven't been disappointed yet. We have not encountered a misfortune. We are not yet burnt out on the year. Often times at the start of the year we have been refreshed by time with friends and family from the recent Christmas holiday. We are on an adrenaline high from the newness of gifts we have opened. We are well rested and embrace extra time off from work. We have had a moment to pause, and we have yet to dive back in to the hustle and bustle of regular daily life. At the start of a new year, things seem doable, reachable, achievable. We hold this trust in our relationship with God that things will be different, easier and desires will be fulfilled.
But then, life gets going again.
You have a bad day.
You are stressed.
You get to feeling overwhelmed.
You are disappointed.
You get hit with some bad news.
Fear creeps in.
You begin to feel as if you need to take matters into your own hands.
You grapple with the need to take control of it all.
And ever so slowly the peace, trust, possibility and hope you found at the start of the new year begins to creep away as the dark winter days slowly pass you by.
What if this year it was different?
What if we made a commitment to really let God drive the car every day?
What if in the challenging moments of the year instead of seeking out ways to be in control, we intentionally set aside moments to pray?
Instead of getting bogged down in the uncertainty, worry, anxiety and trouble daily life brings, hand it over to God.
This year as 2024 gets going, I want to encourage you to grab a notebook. It does not need to be fancy. Go electronic even and open up the notes app on your phone. Just find something tangible where you can jot down your thoughts.
Use whatever you choose as a physical space to represent the space you will make for God this year.
Instead of worrying, take time to do some writing.
Instead of feeling overwhelmed, do a brain dump on your paper dumping it all in God's lap.
Instead of feeling anxious about all that is uncertain, write down all that you need God's answers to and be certain we worship a God that has a perfect plan for our lives.
Instead of feeling bogged down, afraid or discouraged make a list of all that you are grateful for from the day, week or even month. Look over your list and remember there is optimism when we follow a God who offers grace and loves us unconditionally.
As you make it a point to make space for God each day of your 2024 life, may it help you keep trusting in the Lord, keep letting God have control and allow you to remember that with God life is full of endless possibilities.
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7).