Starting the Year
It's time for another round of remembering-to-write-different-numbers-at-the-end-of-the-date.
But more significantly, we see this time of year as a moment to look behind us and ahead of us. It's a time to reflect, refresh, and renew.
REFLECT
Times of reflection aren't always... fun. These last few years have rocked many of us. I still can't quite wrap my mind around how entirely different my life is today than it was two years ago. Honestly, it's unrecognizable, and I'm not even just talking about my health (although that's a big deal, for sure). I know I'm not alone in this. While it's not always fun, reflection can help us process two things we desperately need for maintaining our health and stability in the storms: gratitude and grief.
I can see that even in the very worst of times in these last two years, Jesus was faithful. I can see how he sustained me through moments that should have collapsed me. And I can see how he met me in the moments that DID collapse me. Seeing what has been lost clearly helps my brain to stop spinning. It helps me to say goodbye to, let go of, and thank the things that were something to me before, even if they aren't now. I can find gratitude for the things I am grieving.
Grief is precious in how it allows us to sit in and work through the pain. Reflecting gives us a moment to let the grief catch up so we can let it do its job and so we can embrace gratitude for what was good and what remains good in our lives. For those of us who know Jesus, we can find gratitude in all the ways he's sustained us and all the snapshots of joy we've found in the ups and downs. We can recognize when Jesus was enough even when everything else seemed wrong. Gratitude isn't just an exercise for Thanksgiving; research says it actually impacts our physical health and mental health. It's good for us!
REFRESH
Not everyone gets time off in this season, but if you do, I hope you find times to rest. If you don't, I hope you get to make a plan for finding the time to rest.
Find moments to do nothing. Moments to do nothing without your phone, even! Moments to read something you love, or write, or paint, even if you're bad at it. Take a walk. Look at pictures of places you've been, places you'd like to go, and places you just like to look at. Talk to someone who is important to you. Listen to music. Light a candle. Mental rest is at least as important as physical rest. Find things that recharge you, and do them.
RENEW
There's so much talk of making goals this time of year! Honestly, I am not a goals-loving person (my brain isn't super linear), but even I can see the need for this kind of work. Maybe, like me, you're not a huge fan of the "New Year's Resolution." That's fine. But this is a great time to remember what's important to you.
Are you moving toward your goals or away from them?
Do you have intentional tools in your belt for the hard things that will inevitably come up this year?
Are you prepared to take care of yourself? To find life-giving moments and joy?
Renewing doesn't just mean coming up with some lofty goal. Sometimes, it just means reminding yourself that you are strong, smart, and capable. And getting the tools in place to help yourself find your strength, your intelligence, and your capability when things get hard.
Happy New Year, friends. I hope it's one of growth, peace, and incredible joy.
