Dear New Life Friends,
Don’t clean up so fast…
That was the wise advice a friend gave me several years ago.
Maybe it’s too late for you and you’ve already cleaned up all the paper and put away the decorations. Maybe you’ve already finished all the cookies and treats in the house and rid your home of extra boxes. Maybe you’ve decidedly turned off any lingering Christmas music and taken down the tree.
But let me encourage you… don’t clean up so fast.
If you haven’t already, let the paper lay where it is for right now. Let the decorations hang one more day. Let the lights shine on just a little bit longer.
If it’s too late for that, then consider that maybe the evidence is gone and you are glad to be done with it, but perhaps God isn’t done with you yet.
Before you rush on to the new year and leave this one behind, perhaps take some time to reflect, evaluate and take inventory.
- Was there a moment of peace, hope, love, or joy that you want to remember from this season or the past year?
- Was there an unexpected encounter with someone that was a blessing to you or your family?
- Was there a Scripture verse, song or piece of truth that seemed to be the right word at the right time?
- Was there a movement closer or further away from God during this past year?
You can probably come up with some of your own questions for reflection, but my prayer is that you won’t rush too fast to open up a new season of the year before you take some intentional time to close out the previous season of the year. I’m speaking to myself more than to many of you. I’m regularly guilty of just moving on to the next thing, but find that there is great growth in life when I intentionally pause.
It may be hard.
It may be unnatural.
It may seem impossible.
Consider finding a few moments to sit and simply listen.
What is it that God is trying to say… right now?
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Mike