“No one can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending” (Author unknown)
Happy New Year! It is 2017, a brand new beginning, and here we are with a brand new calendar and a brand new set of resolutions.
What are your New Year resolutions? I have four: 1) Walk 10000 steps per day, 2) spend more time as a family interacting and less time in front of the TV, 3) do a random act of kindness every day, and 4) bookend my day with time with God through prayer and devotions, every morning and every night.
My list this year is short, but not simple. It will mean planning ahead to make sure I have plenty of time for exercise, getting up when the alarm goes off without hitting snooze, missing some of my favorite shows, and paying more attention to the needs of people around me. But, I know I can do it if I give it my best, and if I trust God to help me through, since—as Paul wrote in Philippians 4:13—I know that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Besides, it is a new year, and a new year is a great time for resolutions! A new year is a good time to start new habits, to renew positive practices, and to set brand new goals for yourself. It is also an important time to forgive yourself for past mistakes. As the quote says, you can’t go back and redo the beginning. What’s gone is gone and most the time we don’t have the opportunity to undo the mistakes we have made.
However, it is possible to start today and make a new ending! For some of us, the New Year is just that—a chance to change directions and move towards a more positive conclusion in life.
It is easy to become overwhelmed by decisions of the past, old regrets, and things we wish we would have done differently. It’s also hard not to miss the people we have lost or wish we had time to do it all again. But life does not give us the chance to go backwards. As much as we would love a time machine to let us go back to the beginning, the past is past, and what we have is today, and the chance at a new future.
Do you want a new ending for your life this year? Have you gotten off track and know it is time to head in a new direction? Then my best advice is this: do it! Don’t worry about old beginnings or past mistakes. Simply focus on the new opportunities a new year brings, trust God for your strength, and get started on those resolutions! And know that it is never too late to be brand new!
Love,
Pastor Becca