The wind is blowing fiercely today on the eve of the New Year. Maybe Mother Nature wants to make a parting statement when the rest of the world is simply looking forward to a new beginning. A meteorologist could explain where the wind gets its strength, but he probably couldn’t tell us where to get it when we need it. If the previous year left you tired, a little broken and on your knees, there is a place you can go to refuel.
In the New Year, you can stand strong, face forward, and expect a bright future. “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom.” (Isaiah 40:28) When you get exhausted from the battles that surround you, take them straight to God. THIS is where you can build an inner strength to allow you to remain standing in the storms of life. “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:29-31) As you think about your New Year’s resolutions, determine to give God all of your cares from last year. Ralph Waldo Emerson said it well, “Write it on your heart that everyday is the best day in the year…This new day is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a moment on the yesterdays.” May you walk in strength today, expecting that today is going to be quite wonderful.
During this Christmas season, let’s take time to recognize and enjoy the perfect moments. Recently I watched my 3 year-old nephew Benjamin for a few hours. It didn’t matter to us what we chose to do, as long as we were doing it together. We made Play-Doh cookies, fought imaginary lions, and build a fort under the dining room table. Laying under the table reading the same book over and over was my personal favorite. There were blankets to cover the chairs, a ‘secret’ entrance, and pillows and blankets to make our space cozy. There wasn’t much room under that table, so we snuggled close as we read. What do you call that time together? A perfect moment.
I’m an Ohio State Buckeye fan, (say it with me now “O-H-I-O”). When you’re a Buckeye fan, your expectations stay high. Each game we get to see a strategic plan unfolding, observe an energy radiating from players on the field, and witness incredible displays of athleticism, (“Did you see that catch?”). I can’t help but think about the 2011 game against Wisconsin that looked like OSU was letting a win slip away. His team down 26-29, a minute and 10 seconds left on the clock, quarterback Braxton Miller winks at his coach and says, “We’re all right.” He was anticipating that something good was about to happen. And it did! Miller stepped onto the field and with 20 seconds left on the clock, threw a 40 yard touchdown pass to win the game.
This summer my niece and her family transformed an old rundown farmhouse into a comfortable, refreshing place to live. You should have seen how it looked when they started! It needed new paint in every room, the mice had to be asked to leave (evicted is a better way to put it), and water lines had to be repaired. Ceilings were raised, the stairway opened, and more windows were added. When the air conditioning went in I believe my niece did a dance for joy (and who doesn’t love a little air on those hot and humid summer days?). The transformation didn’t happen overnight and yet they now live in a beautiful home filled with kids’ laughter, family and friends, and the soft purr of an air conditioner.