Happy New Year/Life!

My friend Debbie sent me an email last night and said she was looking forward to seeing a New Year blog post. Oh, the pressure...!

The truth is, I like the “fresh start” feeling of the New Year, but I’m not much on resolutions. On the upside, you take your tree down and your living room looks twice as roomy…you can look forward to hibernating for the next 10 weeks…and the days are already getting longer! On the other hand, you may be suffering from post-holiday malaise…the weather’s likely to get worse before it gets better…and, even though the days are getting longer, it still gets dark at 5:30.

I’ve made my share of New Year’s resolutions over the years. I can’t even recall the specific ones, because I typically failed at them within the first 48 hours. More often, my resolutions have been very vague, for instance, “be healthier,” or, “simplify.” The single resolution I can say I've kept over the past five years was to know my checking account balance at all times, and the only reason I achieved that goal was the advent of online banking.

The other thing about New Year’s resolutions is that they’re almost always rooted in failure. For instance, “Last year I did a horrible job of __________, so this year I resolve to do better at __________.” How is that supposed to work? It feels like a self-fulfilling prophecy to me.

While I do have hopes and goals and dreams for 2008, I’ll think I’ll opt to keep them close to my heart, rather than publicize them (thus eliminating that nasty “accountability” factor). Besides, if I make a New Year’s resolution and blow it January 2nd, have I blown it for the entire year? As discouraging as that would be, I have a better plan.

The truth is, God offers me more than a New Year tomorrow. He offers me a new life 365 days a year through His son, and that’s an offer that can’t be beat. Sure, I’ll get up tomorrow morning and try my best to be a better me. Inevitably I’ll fall short, but the good news is that I’ll have another shot at it the day after tomorrow, and I don’t have to do it on my own; He’ll be there January 2nd (and March 19th, and July 22nd, and October 5th, supporting me with His grace and mercy.

So I wish you a wonderful New Year, filled with His best for you and the ones you love. But on that day when you wake up and realize you’ve fallen short of your 2008 resolutions, I pray that you can forgive yourself, move on, and lean on Him for the rest of the year.

“Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” ~ Lamentations 3:22-23 (NIV)