Ah, December 26. That elusive day when the holiday festivities are over, and you find yourself giving thanks for what has been and pondering what is to come. No doubt, the holidays are a crazy, busy time, and I hope it has been in a good way for all of you. Christmas made up for more or less missing Thanksgiving this year - Rick and I were both healed from the flu, we got to see our families, and I even got the added bonus of one more day off work on December 23. Of course I am thankful not only for that, but for all I realized in writing my holiday letter to you over the past 4 entries. I look back and realize it was quite a ride, but it also made me grateful. Death makes you grateful for life. Illness and injury make you grateful for health and healing. Difficult seasons make you appreciate how things work together. It all makes you embrace life more fully, give thanks for the blessings, and makes you into a better, stronger person.
And now as I look toward the new year, I see how the victories and struggles have changed me, and how it's a step toward evolving into a better person. I often hear people talk about how a person has changed after a trial or struggle, and they often mean it in a bad way. Truthfully, I see it the exact opposite - if life knocks you out and you don't change, then I wonder if something is seriously wrong with you! Some things should shift your paradigm. Some things should change how you think, see the world, and live. Some things should make you into a different person. Sometimes you can't go back, and if you stubbornly hold on to what was then you've completely missed the point of why the Lord brought you to and through the trials. Life isn't a game of Perfection. When it pops and throws things all over the place, you can't simply pick up the pieces and put them back in their neat little place before the timer pops and sends them up again. Sometimes, some pieces are gone forever. Sometimes, you find new things, or things you didn't realize you had. Sometimes, things are reshaped and there's no way to hammer or squeeze it back into what it was before. Sometimes, we need to change, because life can't get better until we do. We have to evolve into what we need to be before we can handle what is to come - and we need to appreciate the blessings we have at all times.
I do like these days between Christmas and New Years Day, because it's a great chance to decompress from work, celebrations, reflections, and planning. You can just "be" for a while as you reflect on how you want to do it better next year. And that's alright. While these days may seem deflating, they may, in fact, be the most important of the entire year as we seek wisdom for what was to give us discernment on what will be.
That's all today. Take care. Have a Happy Friday and a wonderful weekend.
Bye!
And now as I look toward the new year, I see how the victories and struggles have changed me, and how it's a step toward evolving into a better person. I often hear people talk about how a person has changed after a trial or struggle, and they often mean it in a bad way. Truthfully, I see it the exact opposite - if life knocks you out and you don't change, then I wonder if something is seriously wrong with you! Some things should shift your paradigm. Some things should change how you think, see the world, and live. Some things should make you into a different person. Sometimes you can't go back, and if you stubbornly hold on to what was then you've completely missed the point of why the Lord brought you to and through the trials. Life isn't a game of Perfection. When it pops and throws things all over the place, you can't simply pick up the pieces and put them back in their neat little place before the timer pops and sends them up again. Sometimes, some pieces are gone forever. Sometimes, you find new things, or things you didn't realize you had. Sometimes, things are reshaped and there's no way to hammer or squeeze it back into what it was before. Sometimes, we need to change, because life can't get better until we do. We have to evolve into what we need to be before we can handle what is to come - and we need to appreciate the blessings we have at all times.
I do like these days between Christmas and New Years Day, because it's a great chance to decompress from work, celebrations, reflections, and planning. You can just "be" for a while as you reflect on how you want to do it better next year. And that's alright. While these days may seem deflating, they may, in fact, be the most important of the entire year as we seek wisdom for what was to give us discernment on what will be.
That's all today. Take care. Have a Happy Friday and a wonderful weekend.
Bye!
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