Getting Ready for the New Year!
That was an amazing Christmas! I hope yours was full of family, food, gift giving and love. I especially hope that you tuned into the birth of Jesus and the theology of the incarnation, which is “God is with us.”
I don’t think it is coincidence that the New Year follows on the heels of Christmas. These few days between afford us the opportunity to gear up for the New Year. Did you read last Saturday’s Fresno Bee? The article by religion writer Ron Orozco about New Year’s resolution quoted me. Unfortunately he left out the main idea of my quote, which is my theme for the New Year. It is “Giving Back.”
Do you think it would make a difference in your life if you woke up everyday saying “Today is a Giving Back day and I will find at least one way to Give Back some of the goodness I have received”? You know it would because instantly your day would be transformed from a “worry about me and my problems” day to “thinking about Giving Back to others day.”
In preparation for a year of Giving Back I want you to make a list of all the goodness you have received this year. One way to do this is to make a list from 1 to 10 and indentify good things you received; your pay, a warm home, friendship in a crisis, someone to love. It will be really easy to make this list. Another way is to go through last year’s calendar and remember goodness as you recount every week of every month.
But maybe 2009 was not a good year for you. Perhaps you had a serious loss. I have friends that have lost jobs, homes, their good health, and even loved ones. What good can be found in the losses? I hate to be a Polly Anna but it is there, even in the loss. My friend lost her husband of 67 years in 2009. She is alone now and the transition is hard, no doubt. But like so many others she will make it through. She has a loving family. She has wonderful memories of a life time of love. Loss is not good, but there is goodness even in the midst of it. I saw her at church the other day and she had more than a few people come up to her and love on her, it was very touching for me to witness. She received comfort. In a year of Giving Back she will be able to comfort someone else.
So, go ahead… make your list of the good that has come into your life in 2009. Let’s get ready for a wonderful year of Giving Back. This is going to be great!
I love you – Bryan Martin
Love your neighbor – Help One
