Each year I set one goal for myself. My resolutions don't look like some, skip the lose _ pounds, work out _ days, change the world, change my personality. All of these things come and go and are forgotten in less than a week. My family will attest to the fact that my memory keeps getting shorter and shorter each year.
As I remember the year past and look to the year to come, I contemplate about what I can do to impact the lives of others; my family, my friends, my church family, etc. I love the quote that I stumbled upon, for I think it is a perfect goal for the year ahead, rise above the little things. There are so many things that happen daily that can cause us to be impatient, to change our mood from a joyful to a sour spirit, spreading negativity all around.
I know, this seems like such a minor adjustment or character goal, but one that I think is going to challenge me. A story comes to mind in the New Testament in Mark 10, when after a long day of teaching, many small children wanted to see Jesus and all His disciples were annoyed and tried to turn all of them away. Jesus scolded them, telling the little children to come. How many times do children ask for our attention and our response is "just a minute" or "I'll be there in a little while." How many times does someone ask us to do something for them and our response is less than positive? How much more pleasant would riding in my car be for the observers that have to ride with me be if I am more patient with the person on the phone who cuts me off or the little old lady who swerves right to turn left if I rise above the little things?
May you count your blessings as you think about the year that has passed by you and may you think about something in your life that needs to be worked on to make you more loving, compassionate, more like Jesus in 2014. If we all focused on our own lives and what we can improve, the world will be a better place!
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