Do You Feel Like Quitting -- Already?

It’s just day three of 2019 and maybe you’re already feeling like quitting before you ever really get started on your New Year's resolutions. I plan on spending more time with the Lord in the mornings, but “This morning I need to shorten it up because I have a funeral to go to!" I plan on being more active physically, but “This fireplace feels so good and it's so cold outside! " I plan on starting a Bible Study or Life Group in my home this year, “But I need to really think that through because I know my schedule is so full already and besides my friends are all so busy. Who can add one more thing to their "plates"?”

And, so goes the aspirations and really good intentions. Each January I’m hit with the recognition of how utterly human I am. I become an idealist, I set a goal (or ten), and then I fail. I become disappointed, and then I give up. Take my journaling, for example. I’m on point for several days and then I go for days before I come back and squinch my brain to remember those days and what God and I did together.

It’s true that January can act as a clean slate. A fresh new start. A new beginning. Old things are passed away and behold, all things are brand spanking new! That’s what we love about it, isn’t it? We’re all longing to be made new. But Jesus is teaching me that, with Him, each day — each moment — is a clean slate. We don’t have to force ourselves into a rigid routine, but instead, start to recognize His gentle and loving rhythms of grace.

I am certain that this year I will have intentional sweet times of fellowship with my Lord and He will reveal sweet nuggets of gold from His Word to me. I am also certain there will be days when there is so much on my mind that I won’t give Him my best attention and I’ll miss some of those nuggets. I also know I won’t suddenly become an avid-never-missing-a-day of work-outs in the gym or the pool. And, that Bible Study…..I will not get all stressed out about when I’ll start it, but I plan on seeking God for His wisdom and for divine inspirations that will motivate me to “Start NOW!”.

Recognizing that my life doesn’t need to be a structured, rigid routine (although there is a time and place for that) but instead a rhythmic journey set to the tune of God’s grace, provides me with so much freedom.
I set a goal. There is His grace.
I fail. There is His grace.
I try again. There is His grace.

Tomorrow I’ll wake up and my goal will be to spend quality time with my Lord. I might even get so caught up in my time with Him, I’ll forget about my “To Do” list that can be done later or even tomorrow. Tomorrow I will go back to the pool or gym and, eventually, I’ll become more absolute in the importance of my health and strength and energy. Eventually, I will be so full of God’s Word in me, that I won’t be able to contain it all and I MUST do more than my blogging to get it all out of me and I’ll start that Bible Study even if it’s only me that shows up.

Eventually, maybe tomorrow, I’ll be that gal who is so on purpose that all those goals and aspirations I put out there for this year will be as rhythmic and routine in my life, as brushing my teeth. But, in the meantime, I’ll thank God for His grace in sticking with my consistency AND inconsistency. Here’s to His grace that bears with me. Here’s to today – Day Three and here’s to tomorrow – Day Four of a year that promises to be blessed and highly favored because of God’s amazing grace!

Are We There Yet?

Happy New Year! Yes, we are there! 2019 came in like a breath of fresh air – especially if you walked outside at the midnight hour to light some firecrackers or simply to take in 2019 from the outside in. Now, an entire year of awesomeness awaits us. The squares on our 2019 calendars are blank, but very soon those squares will be filled with a host of activities, events, ceremonies, birthdays, anniversaries and exciting opportunities for a new year of great conquests, victories, and adventures.

Back to my post title: “Are we there yet?” Those are familiar words to moms and dads who venture out to take road trips with their young ones. After the first hour of an eight-hour journey, they'll ask: “How long until we’re there?” Then, it’s “Are we there yet?” And that’s the language we often use with God. We pray for a quick fix or an on-the-spot answer to our prayers, but more often than not, God’s timing is NOT our timing. I’ll admit it. Sometimes God’s Word doesn’t make a lick of sense to me (as we say in the South). “If you say to this mountain, be removed and do not doubt in your heart, it will be removed!” (Mark 11:20) Okay. I’ve got this! “Mountain be removed!” Nada; nothing; zilch! I’ll try this one! “All things are possible to those who believe.” (Mark 9:23). I AM believing! Nada; nothing, zilch! I stare at the words on my thin-papered pages of my Bible and end up scratching my head with the end of my Bible highlighter.

I felt that way when I recently read this, “So God led the people by the roundabout way” (Exodus 13:18). This mind boggling little passage is about the Israelites leaving Egypt to go to their Promise Land. It’s before they messed up and God said they had to wander around for forty years. This is a whole different deal where God intentionally led them the roundabout way.

Have you ever felt that way? Did you have a lot of roundabouts in your 2018 year? I sure did, and I suspect that last year didn’t turn out the way many of you planned also. There might have been some chaos and something unexpected happened. If so, let’s take heart. It doesn’t automatically mean that we’re not in God's will. Sometimes He just leads us the roundabout way.

Why? Because His ways are not like ours. Because we think in minutes and He thinks "eternity". We barely see a foot in front of us and He knows the whole story, the whole winding way that is going to get us where He wants us to go. It makes me sigh and laugh when He sometimes takes the slower, scenic route.

Maybe this year I’ll act less like the kid in the back seat asking “Are we there yet?” every two minutes. Maybe I’ll roll down the window and enjoy the view. Maybe I’ll remember that life is like a road trip. It’s about so much more than just getting there.

We don't know what tomorrow holds -- or this new year holds -- but one thing we do know -- HE KNOWS and HE holds our tomorrows and, better yet, He holds our hands and is with us through the straight and narrow AND the roundabouts. Our future is so bright. Let's purpose to wake each day to the prospects of what each day will hold by Him Who knows everything about everything -- and with that kind of Trip Advisor, if we pay close attention, He'll guide us into making 2019 to be our best, most blessed year EVER!