Shedding that Old Coat

And here we are again, ready to shed 2018 off like an old coat. I think of my old MawMaw's expression, "I'd like ta get shed of that old thing." Some folks scoff at the idea of making goals and commitments at the new year, since most of them often peter out so quickly...but I love this time of year. It's a chance to examine the old and put on a fresh face for the new. We all have things in our lives that need to change (at least I do). Health, eating, exercise, plans for business, thoughts that drift back to former dreams that have not been attained. 

2018 was one of the roughest years of my life, for many reasons. Death, loss, stress, taxes...things that can certainly get your eye off the "ball." But isn't life about those things? The hard inclines, the valleys. Mountaintops are reached after long stretches of work. Their experience is heady, brief and exhilarating. But the air is thin up there and you can't get much work done standing on a pinnacle. Most of our lives are about the murky, trudging places...marching, pulling through, taking the next step. It doesn't have to be drudgery though. If I've learned anything this year, it's to keep my head up and see the inchworm on a leaf or breathe in the sweet morning air. There's a lot in life that we can let go of, and the earth will keep right on spinning. I'm not God (surprise!) and I don't have to care about every tiny detail that I can't control. I'm learning to laugh and let Him worry about that. 

When my husband lost his job this year, right smack in the middle of heavy grief over losing my Daddy, all I wanted to do was lay on the ground and die. Or kick and scream. Or find a way to fix it. What resurrected me was an epiphany in the middle of the night. I got my eyes off our circumstances and remembered my roots. What could I do to help us be healthier? There were lots of places I had neglected my own home and my relationship with Ken. First off was digging past the elephants in our room, to do the job of communicating better, where it had been easier to just ignore things. Admitting where I was weak, ask for help, clear out the clutter, both physically and emotionally. Having a heart of thankfulness, looking past the difficulties to all that is good. And even being grateful for what seemed bad. Romans 8:28 (my Daddy's life verse) says: "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose." 

I've decided to do a 12-week plan rather than a 12-month plan, making my goals more accessible. Then I'll start over. There are worlds of possibilities out there. My personal plans include measurable goals in the areas of health, art, study and spiritual walk. Not insane, just with the end in sight. Let's have a great, mindful year, full of love for one another and with our sights set on walking with joy through the trenches of life.