Looking back, looking forward

The days between Christmas and the new year are some of my favorite days every year. There is a hush after the flurry of activity and excitement. The pace slows if I allow it to, and there is time for sitting and pondering, for recollection and quiet conversation. I resist the urge to create more excitement or to be more “productive.” Body, mind, and spirit all need to do the work of regeneration and repair that come with genuine rest.

Of course, there is the call to make plans, to set goals, to firmly resolve in the face of a new calendar year. This can be a call worth answering if one answers with a spirit of calm curiosity. Where is the Lord leading? What is his desire for your well-being? Look on the year past with compassion. Notice the ways you’ve grown. Look at all the ways you’ve made progress in relationships. Let yourself look back for a few moments, being gentle as you examine what went right and what was a grand opportunity to learn. Congratulate yourself on doing the hard work that is necessary in the teachable moments life presented.

And if — in the quiet contemplation — you notice something about yourself that you wish to change, ask yourself why that habit persists. Read the rest here, please.

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