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by Cliff Young
I love New Year's. It's not because of the New Year's Eve celebration; it's not
because the busyness of the holidays is over; it's not even because of the
numerous college football games on television. I love New Year's because it
signifies the end of a chapter, one that probably didn't reach my highest
expectations yet holds the hopes, the dreams, and the possibilities of a whole
new year.
Even though a new year almost seems "artificial" in some ways -- only minutes
from one to the next -- I see it as a brand new start, a start that I need every
year to help me get past the past.
Surprises
No matter how hard we try to plan and maintain a handle on (or control of) our
own lives, each year all of us are faced with situations and circumstances that
are completely out of our control.
A couple of weeks ago, I was at the post office picking up my mail and a young
boy about 7 years old was opening a letter that his mother had given him. He let
out a scream: "20 dollars! I've got 20 dollars!" Just then his older sister,
about 10 years old, said "I've got 60 dollars!" I remarked to them, "Wow, I hope
I find money in my mail!" Their mother turned to me and said, "20 and 60 dollars
isn't much coming from their father who left us, and he could do more instead of
spending it on a 26-year-old."
Many families enter this New Year very differently from what they were a year
ago. Besides relational disappointment, I know many families, including my
brother's, are faced with a loss of work or some other financial struggle.
Others still face the New Year fighting an illness, missing a loved one or
without a home in the face of many disasters.
At times like these, Jesus speaks to us just as he did to a father named Jairus
when he found out his daughter had just died: "Don't be afraid. Just trust me"
(Mark 5:36, NLT).
Moving Forward
Looking back upon the last couple of years, I see disappointments in
relationships, I see missed opportunities in business, I see friends who have
passed away, and I see poor decisions in how I reacted to situations and how
people reacted to me. But in order for me to move forward, to continue growing,
to continue reaching for higher standards, I need to put aside what people have
done to me, how people have treated me, poor decisions I've made, and past
disappointments.
Paul says: "We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and
broken. We are perplexed, but we don't give up and quit. We are hunted down, but
God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going …
for our present troubles are quite small and won't last very long. Yet they
produce for us an immeasurable great glory that will last forever! So we don't
look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we
have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to
come will last forever" (2 Corinthians 4:8-9, 17-18, NLT).
Maybe you're like me, a "mature" single, never been married (with no immediate
prospects), or like the woman in the post office, a single parent making the
best for yourself and your family with the scars of a relationship gone astray.
In either case, we can approach the New Year in the same way. But how?
Setting Goals
I just heard a question asked of rapper 50 Cent, who is one of the best-selling
artists of the past year: "You have all of the money that you could want; what
makes you happy now?" His answer: "To make goals and to achieve them." Maybe not
from the best of role models, but that's not bad advice for all of us.
Each year I try to have some simple goals (ones that can be reached in a day or
a week), some mid-range goals (ones that can be obtained in a month to a year)
and some long-range goals (ones that may take years or longer to reach).
Whether they are spiritual, emotional, financial, physical, or relational goals,
they all have some common denominators: •They have to be clear -- if you can't understand your goal, you'll never reach
it. •They have to be reachable -- if you can't obtain the goal, what's the use
having them? •They have to be communicated -- you have to stay accountable to others, and be
encouraged by others. •They have to be written down -- you need to have your goals constantly in your
mind in order to reach them.
There were many things that I was able to accomplish this past year, some things
that I have put off for another year, and other things with which I have failed
miserably. If I dwell on the negative and hang onto the past too much, I will
miss new opportunities, new relationships and new possibilities.
Look forward to what you have not seen. Don't regret another year gone by; make
this year one where you leave the past in the past.
About The Author:
Cliff Young is a contributing writer to Sandlot Stories (ARose Books). An
architect and former youth worker, he now works with Christian musicians and
consults for a number of Christian ministries. Got feedback? Send your comments
and questions to CYdmg @ yahoo.com.
Source: Christianity.com
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