2010

It came and we saw it—the year 2010. We were going to a party with the Rock Group at church, but our furnace was still not working consistently. Repair people had worked on it earlier in the day and thought it was fixed, but not so. Bless the young repairman who came to our house on a holiday night to again get us some heat.

We had fired up the fireplace again as a backup to help keep the front of the house warm. We ordered stuffed pizza and spent the evening in our recliners by the fire watching a Michael Westen marathon (it was supposed to be 23 hours long). We watched the giant ball come down in New York at 11:00 (our time) and searched the channels for some kind of celebration in Chicago or central time zone at midnight. Found none! Nevertheless, I kissed my husband, and we started another episode with Michael, Fiona, and Sam.

As we begin a new year, I am reminded of the thoughts in Revelation 21, “the former things are passed away . . .I make all things new.” I think we do have a clean slate as we start this new year. Most of us, unfortunately, are carrying some baggage along from former years; but in as much as within our power, we should leave it back in ’09. Some we may have to deal with before it can disposed of permanently.

Still, we have a clean slate for this year. We can write our story however we choose. Oh, I know there will be pictures that appear on our slate that are out of our control, but we get to choose the reactions that we write there.

Often, people start their slate with “New Year’s Resolutions” which they break quickly and then feel guilty for a good part of the year. I think it might be preferable to instead set a few directional goals for the year.

I recommend that each of us have a goal of following the Lord and His will for us. Included in that would be 1) seeking to understand what He has written in His Word, 2) listening for His “still small voice” as well as the voice He sends through other people, and 3) doing what we already know He wants of us like being good to people and serving one another.

May we each cross the 2010 finish line with a “well done” from our Father's voice.