As I write this, the sky is lit up with fireworks and the sounds of crackles, pops, and explosive bursts fill my room as the breeze blows lightly through the window. Just think. This type of fireworks extravaganza goes on world wide every year at this same time. If any astronauts are up there tonight, it must be quite a sight!
It’s the New Year. A time to celebrate. A time to reflect. A time to look forward to a fresh start. But, most of all, a time to let go of the past. Starting over, or new, is easy. It’ the letting go that can sometimes be the real challenge.
If you’re anything like me, letting go of the past and moving forward can be tough. As much as I would like to think I do it without much effort, at times I struggle. I have a really good memory. Especially if things have not worked out the way I thought they should, or if someone has done me wrong, or been unkind. I am not proud of that characteristic, but I would be lying to you if I did not admit that part of my humanity. Sometimes things, for me, just die hard. But I am working on it. And I think I am making improvements!
Maybe for you the new year holds the reality of letting go of something near and dear to your heart. Or perhaps something that just needs to go away. Like my fruitcake for instance. I realized a few years back that carrying on a family tradition for the sake of my grandmother, may not in the end really be the best project to devote my time and energy to every year. Let’s face it, as good as it is, few ate the dad gum thing, and, few in my circle will even give the poor concoction a try. Just because the recipe is almost two centuries old doesn’t validate forcing it on innocent bystanders or guilt-ridden family members. Somethings are just better off left to the past. As my friends say, “Move on.”
Think of it this way. There are certain things in life that we just cannot understand and other things that we can not change. Like a spouse who has left, or a child who has wandered off of the good path, or perhaps a disease that refuses to be cured. Sometimes, it’s best to just quit trying so hard and let things be. I will explain.
Maybe you were hoping for a situation to be resolved or a prayer request to be answered before the clock struck midnight on December 31 — but the solution or the answer never came. The chimes from the clock tower came and went just like the fireworks, but as you looked for resolution, once the smoke cleared, you were left in the fog to carry on in 2011
Allow me to encourage you to not give up. Thank goodness God does not answer our prayers because we are good little boys and girls. It would be a terrible shame if He worked off of a naughty or nice list. If He did, it wouldn’t be grace at work. And His sacrifice for us at the cross would have been in vain.
No, God works in His time. In His way. And, fortunately, in His wisdom. He doesn’t decide if I am worthy or not of my requests and prayers, and best of all, He doesn’t hang on to my past either. He lets it go. And I am oh, so grateful for that! He truly moves on. And He does it so much better than you and I could ever dream.
Please remember my friends, that He is not only the Lord of the past, He is the Lord of the present and the future. Our future.
Hugs and Happy New Year.
Stephanie
