God’s New Year Resolution Never Changes | Love One Another

I don’t usually make New Year’s Resolutions. But since the last half of 2014 brought so many really BIG changes in my life, I broke my “NO RESOLUTIONS resolution”. It made sense to begin a brand new life in a new state by writing up a few specific goals for 2015.

During the last weeks of 2014 I signed up for three different “Starting Over” type online mini-courses by respected writers that I admire. I was gearing up to hit January 2015 with drastic changes. My personal goals had to do with setting up a more disciplined daily writing schedule and taking charge of my day by adding exercise, healthy eating and a more aggressive approach to my writing dreams.

Was God chuckling as I added my name to those mentoring email lists? You know that old joke that’s been around for years, about how we make plans and God laughs at them? It makes Him sound a bit mean, but the reality is that His ideas for us are so much bigger and better than anything we could plan.

I do believe that God cares about our tiny details and personal goals. He designed each one of us to be creative and productive. The Bible is full of intricate details and instructions about SOME things. God gave His people very specific directions over and over again.

But, could it be that His over-riding and ultimate desire was simply that we would love Him and love one another? Each one of those careful instructions about personal conduct and political structure all lead us back to the basic truth of LOVE. The whole Bible could easily be described as simply a manual for how to love God and how to love people.

Today is the 13th day of 2015 and the only writing I have done is one blog post and this ambling collection of words for you. Due to an unexpected medical situation, this year so far, has involved pacing the halls of a hospital and helping a family member recuperate from surgery. My best-laid plans have been laid aside. And that is okay with me. I am so thankful that I am here to help. Last year at this time, I was nearly 2,000 miles away and would have been frustrated and unhappy to be so helpless to my family.

Just now I watched the sun come up, and shortly I will be holding my sweet new grandson instead of doing writing prompts and fulfilling my 500 words-a-day commitment. My heart is full and happy to be able to love my family in such a tangible and practical way. What could be more fulfilling and productive than that?

I don’t know if God knew exactly what my new year would look like. I believe that we CAN mess up His best-laid plans; we do it all the time. But He can mess up ours too…and it is always for the better.