Happy New Year.
One of the people I follow on Twitter mentioned, along with his New Year greeting, that he felt no different today than in 2013. And of course there is nothing inherently significant in today - it's not even as if we're marking the point at which the hours of daylight stop getting shorter and start getting longer again.
But it is good to have times in the year when we acknowledge the passing of time - times when we can look back and look ahead. Times when we can pause for a few moments. Times when we can think about whether there are habits we want to break or new habits we want to start. Maybe a chance to wipe the slate clean and begin again. Obviously we can do those things at any point - but the hardest part is often starting. And for many people the first of January provides that extra incentive to start (or stop).
Whilst the middle of winter may not be the best time to start something new, (particularly if it involves going outside in a pair of shorts) today is always better than tomorrow. Waiting for 'the right time' usually just proves one thing - there is never a 'right time' - other than today. Life always has a habit of getting in the way. As I look back over 2013 it is safe to say that it did not turn out as I imagined - but as I look back over the past year, and further, my experience is that God is faithful. And that gives us confidence as we enter into the unknown.
On Sunday, as we said goodbye to our previous church, I preached from one of my favourite passages, 1 Samuel 17, the story of David and Goliath. And one of the key messages I see in this passage is how David's perspective compares with everyone else's. Only David sees God in the situation - the 'armies of the Living God' as opposed to 'the armies of Israel' for example. David faces Goliath with confidence because he sees the situation from God's perspective. Everyone else is fearful because they see things from a human perspective.
So how is my perspective as I face the future? Is God right at the heart of it?
It can be very easy to get things out of perspective and one reason for this is that our memories are very selective. It can be very easy to remember the negatives and forget the positives. We focus on our failures but forget God's blessings. We easily forget what God has done and we don't stop to say 'Thank you'.
When it comes to keeping a diary or a journal - that's just not me. But as we drew a line under ten years in our past church I would love to be able to look back and remember more. So much happened in that time. And so one of my resolutions for 2014, as we start this new chapter in our lives, is to keep a journal. If I think about it too much I know I won't start. So I'd better go and just get on with it...
