Make it new...AND...make the most of it!

                                                                                        

Borrowed from: timesync.gmu.edu

Over the past month or so as I've reflected on the notion of New Years' Resolutions and then read articles on how--by now--most of those have been broken, it really struck me and made me wonder why we only do this with a new YEAR. What about each new HOUR, DAY, WEEK or MONTH? Why do they not have the same power to affect change and desire to start new in our lives? I know that making each hour new may be more than we can handle right off the bat but why can't we start with a new MONTH and then eventually take it to a new HOUR? Or maybe its the opposite for you, maybe starting with the HOUR is best then slowly moving towards each MONTH? It all depends on where you are in life and how you feel...challenge yourself starting NOW! :)
In January, I was in a place where I just didn't feel the normal "newness" of the new year. I always love that feeling of a new, blank calendar and a new year to get things done but didn't feel that this year. It felt like 2010 was dragging itself and I into 2011. God was working in me and I knew that there was not going to be my normal, and much anticipated, "NEW YEAR feeling". That's when this whole idea of making each hour, day, week, month a NEW one. On January 12th, I felt like I was starting the something 'new'. God used a friend to bring me to my knees at the throne of God and strip away everything else until the only thing I had left was God! I knew that this was just the beginning of something new with God. It was a time for me to focus on God, delve deeper into my relationship with God, RELY SOLELY on God and seek HIS perfect plan for my life because I felt completely lost and empty. That's when I knew that God was asking me to do something for HIM, not for myself or this friend. Then on January 15th, God used ANOTHER friend to reinforce this. I was sharing how I was feeling inside with this friend and he spoke the hard truth with more love than most people can. It was all his opinion but I know that God was speaking through him that day and the couple conversations that followed as I figured out what all of this meant in my life.

For me January was a month where I've already have made a lot of mistakes and had to fall in repentance before God. And although I wish I had not made certain mistakes, there are things that are working in my life because I have God on my side and he is changing me 'from the inside out'--this song is sooo true. The other thing I always have to remind myself is that I AM A SINNER! God is not expecting me to be perfect. When I do sin and do make mistakes, He wants me to LEARN from them and that is certainly what I've done this month. It's been a culmination of many months where I've "tried" to learn from my mistakes...I guess God knew I needed a little more help TRULY learning these things. He used 2 ordinary (very special to me) people to help change my life and point me towards Himself.

That's why I really liked the idea of taking one word and focusing on what that word means and how God uses it in your life. Pray and think about what that word might be. For me the word is "wait"...waiting on God, learning to wait patiently in all things, learning to wait on others... There are so many things I'm waiting for and I know that in His perfect timing, I will get the desires of my heart and if I don't, God has a greater plan that I could ever have for myself. I'm excited to see what God does in 2011...I have a feeling it's going to be one of the most life-changing years EVER! :)

In my opinion, one of the most poignant Psalms is 118:24..."This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Let's rejoice in this NEW HOUR, DAY, WEEK or MONTH! Make it new! Share it with others so they can encourage you in your journey!