New Year, New You?
If you know me well, you know I love January. I love a fresh start. I love the hope and expectation of what is yet to unfold. I love coming up with words for the year for myself and kids even if I forget what they are three months later. It’s fine. I still love it.
I also love January (and February and into March) because they are the slowest months of the year for us. Since we run a summer camp in the summers, and the fall and spring seasons are also jam-packed with soccer practices and activities, we have to intentionally slow down for these few months. My soul craves this time to savor the stillness.
*This is a photo of me ACTUALLY taking a few days to be by MYSELF in Hatteras this week. Ever since I watched the show Yellowstone and got to the part where Casey went into the wilderness by himself for four days so the wolves could to speak to him, I knew I needed to do that. (Sure he didn’t have food or water or shelter… but the fact that I longed for THAT told me I at least needed to get some time away). It’s been glorious.
But there are different takes on the new year. There are also a LOT of GOOD ideas out there… on how to have a fresh perspective, add better habits, look younger, eat better, sleep better, etc. etc. Just go on instagram for five seconds and you’ll be given eight hundred beautiful quotes, perspectives, and ideas. But maybe you’re feeling more like the kid in that YouTube video who’s like “yeah yeah yeah everyone’s saying new year, new you but we all know you’re still on meth Cheryl.” (Now you have to look that up).
Even though I love January and I love a fresh start, I need until about mid-January to come out of the haze of Christmas fatigue and running winter week camp right after Christmas. I need space and time to rest and recharge after a season of pouring out. So instead of feeling pressure to launch straight into fresh perspective and goals, maybe a better place to start is allowing ourselves to be stripped, to make space to slow down, calm down, and get off meth Cheryl. (Or your own version of that).
I think God has hidden treasures for each of us this new year. I think He has things He wants to give us, pour out on us, and entrust us with. I think He has more healing, freedom, and joy in store. That’s just His nature… to pour out His goodness. But before we can add more, before we are ready to receive His goodness… we must take some time to unwind, unravel, and remove some obstacles that distract. Then we can see what He says. He probably has better ideas than instagram. . . things that are specific to YOU… your life, your personality, your season. It may not look the same year to year. Hopefully it won’t look like Cheryl’s. Though there’s hope for her too.
So give yourself permission and take some time to grieve what you need to, name your disappointments, be bare before the Lord. Then ask Him to give you HIS ideas, HIS vision for your next year or the next month, day, whatever. His mercies are new EVERY morning. Great is His faithfulness!
*Challenge: Find a way to fast this January. Whether it’s a media fast (I know a bunch of young folk who are going off all social media for January and February) or a coffee or sugar fast… fasting is a great way to regularly be reminded of our neediness before God and how much we rely on other things to fill us. It’s a way to intentionally empty ourselves and invite God into that emptiness. It’s an opportunity to rely on Him in new ways. Ross and I do the Daniel Fast with our church every January and will begin January 15th for three weeks. It’s terribly… good. I highly recommend.
Above all, know that you are loved and adored! God sees you and loves you not only as you are now, but who you are becoming.
Happy New Year!