A New Years Post (because I couldn't come up with anything original)

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Is January 3rd too late for a New Year’s post? I hope not, because I am a sucker for end-of-the-year reflections and the New Year’s resolutions. I've been told there is virtually no difference between January 1st and June 1st, but in my mind there’s a big difference and I thrive on it. I get sentimental about closing the door to an old year and thrilled about embracing the new one. I am lured by the enchanting scent of fresh starts and new beginnings. Possibly I’m just getting sucked up in the hype like everyone else, but never-the-less, I’m certain that January 1st is far more exciting then June 1st.

Maybe I’m especially enthusiastic about 2013 because 2012 wore me out. I’d have to describe this past year as “consuming”. I don’t regret doing any of it. However, becoming a Mrs. and moving to a new state demanded a lot of time, attention and energy. It was a year defined by adjustments, newness, and endurance. I thank God for His ever amazing faithfulness and provision in it all, but I am far more interested in looking to the future. I say, Let the potential, the dreams, and the goals begin again!

I've got many big and little goals this year. But the main one is to “simplify”. Simplicity is becoming more appealing to me every day mostly because I’m coming out of a year that felt unusually complicated. It started when I had to pack up my things to move to Virginia. I couldn't believe the amount of STUFF that a single 20-something could accumulate. I blame it on my genes. But genes or no genes, that’s when I started making decisions to throw things away. I admit that I still have to control the urge to gasp with horror when I hear the words “throw it away”, but I’m telling you, it's starting to change my life in a positive way.

Not only do I want to simplify my life materially, I want to simplify it spiritually. Am I the only one who gets caught making Christianity something far more complicated than it should be?  I long to strip away the misconceptions, the stench of religion, the lies…. and allow God to reveal to me the pure essentials of my faith.  I want to spend time thinking about what really matters and gain the ability to focus on that in this complicated world.

And so while I am energized and ready to take on the new year, I have one lingering question.

 Can people change? Can I change? Can a packrat live without her stuff? Can a person who always seems to complicate things get better at focusing on what matters?

We'd like to believe that the answer to that is a big fat yes. We want to see positive changes in our health, our education, our relationships, our wealth, and our accomplishments. We really want to believe that it's possible to change. But we also know the percentage of people that actually stick to their resolutions is probably around 1% (some statistics say 8%). True change seems almost impossible and quite rare.

So can people change? Can I change? I took the question to heart and stewed over it all day. And I like the answer I came up with. It's so simple and uncomplicated.  Yes, change does happen, but it's God who is changing me – not me on my own strength and will power. A life that is given over to Him in humble faith will be changed.
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