New Year's Day. A fresh start. A new chapter in life waiting to be written. New questions to be asked, embraced, and loved. Answers to be discovered and then lived in this transformative year of delight and self-discovery. Today carve out a quiet interlude for yourself in which to dream, pen in hand. Only dreams give birth to change.
Sarah Ban Breathnach
Reflection and dreaming are the hallmarks of this first month of the year and it’s easy to just recycle last year’s goals and dreams. If 2021 was an especially tough year, it may feel too hard to dream fresh dreams.
I love this Bible verse:
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV
A new year brings new mercies–a reminder that God’s love never ceases.
As a writer, a new year brings many new chapters waiting to be written. Chapters that we perhaps have never dreamed of. Chapters that will be inspired by God.
Last year, I didn’t make as much progress as I would have liked, but I still published three books. Last year, I wasn’t able to travel overseas but I began to learn Italian. Last year, I couldn’t teach in France as planned but I began a new volunteer job in my local church.
Mistakes, loss, family separations, physical challenges, and other challenges that are hangovers from the last couple of years, don’t all miraculously disappear or become resolved.
Our lives are not perfect but if we can keep hope alive and keep dreaming and working towards our goals, we will see progress. Each day is a gift. Each day is a fresh start.
God’s mercies are new every morning. That is something to be eternally grateful for. Finding joy in the everyday, trusting God, and living out our purpose (even if it’s a shadow of what we dream of) is honouring the story promise of our lives.
God sows what we need into our lives each day. God is a creative spirit–The creative spirit.
Everything is continuously being re-created. Acknowledging this and allowing God to recreate us is a marvellous way to look at our lives and the world around us.
A new year brings a new perspective. Who knows, we may not be exactly the same person at the end of the year that we are now. We will grow, we will create, we will live this life of ours in the coming year.
We have been gifted with another day, let’s make it a day of abundant life.
Let’s ask God to show us new mercies, to help us to recover a sense of faith and possibility for this new year.
What are you dreaming about this year?
What new projects are you hoping to begin?
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