As the year draws to a close, everyone should take the time to reflect on the past year. We need to consider what we have done, where we have been, and how we can learn from those things. As 2011 quickly approaches everyone will be making their New Year's Resolutions. So many times when people make their resolutions they make them based on weight loss, stopping smoking, or making some changes in their life. Not that any of these things are not important, because they are but I think we need to look much deeper.
I know for myself I have battled depression in my life, I have a son with Autism, and I am a Leukemia survivor. I lost my job due to my illness and have not been able to find a job, so I have been unemployed for approximately a year and a half. Just in the last couple of days my brakes went out on my van, it was almost $800 to fix it. Was the last year tough of course it was, but on the other side. My Sunday school class has grown, I have been licensed into the ministry, I am attending seminary, and I have been able to be a better father and husband to my family.
I am now exploring a writing career to accompany my ministry. I am looking at business opportunities that will allow me to do my ministry and still take care of my family. Life can be tough of this there is no doubt, but I know that there is a hope for a brighter tomorrow. God has been blessing me, my youngest son is getting close to a decision for Christ, my relationship with my pastor is amazing (he is such an inspiration and a wonderful mentor), and my church is supportive. Today life has new meaning.
Jonathan Edwards wrote resolutions that a normal man could only hope to aspire to. So for this New Year's I resolve to be an even better father and husband, I resolve to be a good Sunday School teacher, I resolve to be a good Christian and to lead by example, but most importantly I resolve to never lose hope and to always look up. I resolve to stand for Christ and to know that all my yesterdays and todays are just stepping stones on my journey to tomorrow, so I will thank God for each day, I will praise him for every blessing, and I will honor him in song, in word, and in deed.
