Practical wishes for the New Year

Happy New Year!

Happy 2018!!!

As a kid, the slow movement from one year to the next didn't really register like it does now.

Then came adulthood.

And for some unforeseen reason, someone messed with the time clock and pushed the "fast forward" button.

But even at this stage of life, post-retirement, the value of fresh beginnings isn't lost.

Fact is, there is something powerful in experiencing the turn of the calendar from one year to another.

It's more than marking a change from 2017 to 2018. More than acknowledging that one year has come and gone and another stands fresh before us.

We need a re-set. Especially living in the Northern Hemisphere - where the onset of winter is readily apparent.

Our human concept of time can only take in so much. Spiritually speaking, I believe that God knew this and did us a favor by giving us one year at a time.

2017 may have been a great year for you. It may have been awful. Or somewhere in-between. But the fact is, it's not 2017 anymore.

The New Year gives us a chance to be refreshed mentally, physically, emotionally and deep in our spirit.

So, here's what I wish for you this New Year:

Patience: Not everyone thinks, looks or acts like us. Patience helps us slow down and begin to understand and appreciate the differences. Patience allows us to see people and situations from another point of view.

Love: Almost every religion on the planet places a great emphasis on love. One of the classic definitions of love is found in the 13th chapter of 1st Corinthians. "Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful and endures through every circumstance."

Kindness: Is the oil that lubricates human relationships.

Forgiveness: It's been said that God is a God of second chances. If we're made in God's image, then we're in a perfect position to pass some of that forgiveness along. If you don't believe in God, then consider this - if you've been alive for more than a year, the chances are very high that you've needed to be forgiven. Why not choose to pass the favor along?

Grace: This one is linked closely to forgiveness. It's unmerited favor. Being extended a helping hand when you didn't necessarily earn or deserve it. Grace comes in many forms - like the last time someone let you into the turn lane in rush-hour traffic. Or someone offered to carry your grocery bags to the car when you had small kids with you. Or a neighbor shoveled snow off your sidewalk.

Hope: The epistle to the Hebrews begins with, "Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see." It's interesting that this same epistle goes on to list several people who lived out this hope. Often in the middle of very difficult circumstances. Even if you aren't a Christian or a believer in any religion, there's no denying the positive effects of hope. Hope lights the way through tough times, helping us realize we'll get through them. Alexander Pope said, "hope springs eternal in the human breast."

Peace: This isn't referring to the absence of war. Rather, it's the calm of knowing we're all connected to the same human race. It's assurance (call it "blessed assurance," if you're religiously-minded). It's comforting and it indeed settles the soul.

Happy New Year to you!

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