A Number on the Calendar
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 (NIV)
The New Year is here and we all make those whimsical and selfish resolutions that last about a week or a month if we are persistent. I am going to lose fifty pounds. I am going to walk two miles every day. We all know that list! A lot of energy, time, busyness, emotion and memories happen between Christmas and New Year. The calendar reminds us, right?
I really hope that a digit on a piece of paper does not determine who we are or what we are going to do. This numeral only indicates where we have been for a short span in our lives. What lies ahead is undetermined and cannot be designed by any promise that we make. Please understand that a goal for good health and habits is pleasing to our Heavenly Father but our lives include so much more.
From my table in northern PA, I watch the birds and squirrels at the feeders and the deer that come running every morning for their corn, carrots and apples—and my heart smiles. They do not care what day it is. They just know that they are being fed and cared for. They feel safe. Did you know that “Safety is not the absence of danger, but the presence of God” (Jeanette Windle)? This being said, I pray that our new year will bring more peace, hope and joy to the world. I pray that we might be like little sunbeams in the lives of others and cast out the darkness. My wish is that through our words and actions, others will find their way to You.
December 31st was no different than January 1st! I am sure that many of you reading this are thinking, ‘that’s not possible!’ but trust me, it really is! If God was our focus last week, the only difference should be that we want more of Him today.
Francis of Assisi once said: “A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows.” Maybe that should be our goal for this new year. It is my prayer that while it’s just a number on a piece of paper; this might become the year when your light will shine the brightest.
Father God, thank You for teaching us by example. Help us to be Your ambassadors of light in this broken-down world. AMEN.
Photograph Michael Johnston