Pause to be Grateful

"Count your blessings. Once you realize how valuable you are and how much you have going for you, the smiles will return, the sun will break out, the music will play, and you will finally be able to move forward the life that God intended for you with grace, strength, courage, and confidence"
~ Og Mandino

I have an issue with New Year's Resolutions. I suppose that I always have, but for some reason, this year it has really exploded in my mind as the end of 2008 approached. Don't get me wrong - I am all for self-improvement. I think that we will always be "works in progress" until the very last day of our lives. God will always have a new work to do in us for as long as we're seeking Him. My problem with resolutions is two-fold: First, why do we limit ourselves to one time of year to set all these life-changing goals? I don't know about you, but I tend to set such big or such numerous goals that I am bombarded and despite my great intentions, I typically fall short on most of my resolutions after a few weeks. Why can't we learn from the futility of past year's resolutions and change the way that we approach them? This year, I think I will try that. I'm going to try "new month resolutions" as each month changes. I'll let you know how it goes.

My second problem with resolutions at the start of a new year is probably the bigger of the two, and it is that the whole atmosphere of making them seems so negative. It's almost this air of "here is everything I hate about my life right now and how I am going to fix it." Again, don't get me wrong - I think change and improvement are good things. Yet it seems that any reflection on all that is GREAT in our lives is missing. We spend all this time talking about the goals we have for 2009, and in doing so, 2008 gets swept under the rug with nary a second glance. Why can't our resolutions, in whatever form they may take, begin with a "time out" of sorts to reflect upon all the blessings that were a part of our lives in the past year? Imagine what power that simple act of savoring the good could have in starting our years with hearts truly readied to approach new goals because they are fueled with joy and hope!!

So my first resolution will be to do just that. I've finally dragged all the Christmas decoration containers in from the garage, and am ready to tackle that mammoth task. I'm going to enjoy a quiet house while I work and allow my heart to be still before God. For each ornament or decoration I place into its container, may I name a blessing in my life. Through it may I gain a right perspective and appreciation for 2008, and sift through priorities to know what goals God has for me in 2009.

With that, I wish you a Happy New Year a couple of days late, and leave you with my prayer for you, borrowed from an Irish Blessing:

May your days be many and your troubles be few.
May all God's blessings descend upon you.
May peace be within you may your heart be strong.
May you find what you're seeking wherever you roam.