Day 17: Happy New Year

January 1, 2019

Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does. – Psalms 96:3 NLT

Happy New Year!!!

It’s a new year.

It’s a new day.

It’s a new life.

Many people create their New Year’s Resolution List as they anticipate a good and productive year ahead.

While I don’t like to think of my thoughts as New Year’s Resolutions, I certainly have my own list of hopes, goals, and dreams for the year ahead some of which include the following:

• Starting a New Year Family Tradition
• Starting the Kindness Challenge in the family
• Showing kindness to someone each month by reaching out to them and making time to connect
• Setting aside money for savings
• Be more forgiving and practice how to forgive quickly

I like planning ahead, envisioning my plans coming into fruition, and feeling that wonderful emotion as I see it in my head – goals accomplished.

That is if I get to achieve my goals.

Yes, you read that right…

“If.”

While I would so much love to achieve all the items on my list, I don’t expect myself to do everything — or at least to execute them during the timeline in my head.

Why?

I’d be discouraged if I dwell on my failure to execute my plan on Day 1. (Yes. today!)

Why would I want to do that and discourage myself? If I do this — dwell and be discouraged, I’d end up not doing anything on this list at all.

So, what do I do?

I plan, but I let the Lord guide my steps.

Plan and prepare to be disappointed amazed!

We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. – Proverbs 16:9 NLT

What does this mean?

Have you experienced planning something out but you end up not doing something else anyway?

I sure did.

I think most of you would agree with me when I say that it could be disappointing if our plans didn’t work out the way we hoped they would.

It can be discouraging especially when we think about the time and effort we allotted to prepare and execute our plan and make sure everything goes the way we want them to.

Reality check: I can only control my response and can only see my “present.” I can only hope for what’s going to happen in my future.

So, why did I say prepare to be amazed and disappointed?

If you pray about your plans, ask for the Lord’s wisdom, and intentionally seek His heart in your journey together in this life (or through this year), then prepare to be amazed by what God can do, where He can take you, and how His truth and love can change you.

Step one in the Glorious Hope Program I attended years back is about denial and powerlessness.

Stop playing God. Start admitting that I am powerless over others and my circumstances. The only control I have is over my response.

I may think that I know what’s best for me, but the truth is God is the only One who knows what’s best for me.

He loves me despite my past, knows my present, and sees my future.

And because of that unfailing love, I do trust Him.

This is why I am excited about what God has in store for me and my family this 2019.

I used to be a control freak for a very long time.

After I attended Glorious Hope, I understood that my desire to control everything – family, circumstances, others – is rooted in the fact that there was a point in my life when I did not have control and felt powerless to change my circumstances.

I realized this was the time when someone betrayed my trust BIG TIME.

A nudge from the Lord

While I was skimming through Facebook for updates on family and friends, I saw a familiar name greet my sister a happy new year.

Yes, it’s a familiar surname.

She is the mother of my sister’s ex-boyfriend — the “ex” who betrayed my trust and took advantage of my weakness.

What are the chances that I’d see that new year greeting today of all days?

I didn’t even know they were friends on Facebook!

Since I don’t believe in coincidences, I feel that the Lord is giving me a nudge about this course of action that He’s been impressing in my heart for a couple of years now…

To forgive my abuser.

To some of you who can forgive easily, this is a no-brainer. It would come effortlessly on your part.

But for me?

I came from a family with a long history of struggle with unforgiveness.

I am not exempt from that.

I have held grudges to people –my own family especially — for decades.

I could be counting more years of unforgiveness if not for the Lord who comforted me and opened my eyes about His love and His grace through Glorious Hope.

Since I know that my sins took Jesus on that cross and yet He chose to forgive me because He loves me — Jesus being God Himself — who am I to withhold forgiveness from my abuser?

Don’t get me wrong.

On my own, this is not possible. I can never forgive this person for what he did! I even made a revenge story about him when I was in college! That’s how angry I was that I wanted him to hurt the way he hurt me — or worse.

But that was the old me. The “me” who has not grasped the depth and width, and height of God’s love and His grace.

Now, I know that offering forgiveness is one of my weaknesses.

And that’s okay.

Why?

For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:10)

God will give me the power to forgive. I will make the decision, but He will supply the emotion.

And once I did that — forgive, I will give all the glory to my Lord and my God because I know that it was made possible through Him and Him alone.

More reasons to be thankful

In addition to the points mentioned above, I want to thank the Lord for two more things today.

First, I’d like to thank Him for the strength to take care of my family even if my upper back has been aching for days.

I have a very low tolerance for pain. (Define “low.”)

I have been unable to twist my body and lift my right arm due to the nerve pain I’ve been feeling on the upper part of my back.

Taking care and looking after children are no small tasks. Yes, it can be fun, but it can also be very taxing at the same time.

So, I thank God for holding my hand and giving me the power to persevere despite the pain, especially for giving me a loving and supportive husband who wants to take care of me when I am not well. 

Secondly, I’d like to thank the Lord for the bonding opportunities among my children.

On a typical day, I would freak out if the floor gets wet.

Why?

The tiles are very slippery when wet, which implies it’s a disaster waiting to happen.

Since I am currently disabled, I spent most of my day in the room, resting.

Then, my husband and I heard my children laughing and screaming. 

Wondering what was happening, my husband checked on them to see what the kids are up to.

When he didn’t come back, I got up from the bed and checked what the kids were doing.

Yes, they were playing — getting one another wet on the first day of the year.

I thank the Lord that my husband stayed with the kids to avoid any disaster from happening.

By God’s amazing grace, everyone was safe (and our hearts full of love and laughter) as our day ended.

Conclusion

In my mind, I wanted to do something else on New Year.

I wanted to travel and spend some time out-of-town with the family.

Even if my plan didn’t materialize, I still thank the Lord for showing me that it’s okay to stay at home, that we can still have fun at home.

This year is going to be an exciting year! I know it!

I’m so excited! And I just can’t hide it!

How about you?

How did you spend your first day of the year? Was it your original plan or did God have something else for you? Share with us your brief story in the comments below.