We are coming to the end of 2023 so it is the time to think about whether or not to make New Year’s resolutions. A lot of people make them, but few stick.
Before starting today’s post I went back to what I wrote in my musings here a year ago. I wanted to see if what I wrote then was accomplished, and if I wanted to maybe ‘re-resolve” a few this year. Reading the post back I realized that most of my resolutions also require a confession. I first have to admit that I am not happy with something I do or do not do, and that I want to better myself in the coming new year.
So first comes a confession – then a statement of hope for a resolution.
Here are a few of mine:
I confess that I judge people by how they live. More precisely I judge them by how they keep their yard and their surroundings. Since I have moved ‘out into a rural area’ where there are no homeowner association rules, and people don’t have to answer to anyone about what they keep and where they keep it, I judge. I ask ‘why don’t they see how junky everything looks? Why don’t they clean up their yards?’ I immediately go there – without knowing anything about who lives there. When I actually stop and think about it, I know there must be a lot of reasons: perhaps poor health or a disability, or lack of funds to pay for a garbage service, or no vehicle to haul junk away. Also, there might be mental health issues due to no job opportunity, or depression.
“Stuff” is a big issue in America. That is why we keep building more and more long term storage facilities. Where I live thy are popping up all over the place. I am a visual person. Just as I dislike junky yards, I dislike rows of storage buildings. We are a relatively new country, and I wonder WHY we have so much stuff everywhere?? Old, broken down stuff. When did Americans become such hoarders?
My resolution is to stop myself and to be more compassionate about what I see. But, also to do something about it. I can help with funding clean up projects and mental health organizations. I can clean up MY surroundings. I enjoy keeping my yard looking nice, but I can go beyond and clean other areas too. I used to take a trash bag from time to time and pick up trash along the road – and I can resolve to make the effort again, and more often.
I confess that I am still searching for a faith home, and I wince when I think about it. I have felt let down, disappointed, and just unsure which direction to turn. For a good part of my life I enjoyed a wonderful fellowship with others in the churches I attended. I felt we were family, and there was a deep commitment to each other.
My resolution is not to find that same church feeling again. It is to make sure I continue to grow my faith, through attendance at various worship services, to reach out to religious organizations that really do make a difference, and to try and accept the various types of worship experiences out there.
I am slowly accepting that being a Christian is different now then it used to be. It has become a hot topic, and a Christian is a misunderstood person due to politics and the fringe groups. The saddest part is that Christians have become so very divisive when that goes against the core teachings of Jesus. I have seen the hypocrisy for myself and I therefore understand how younger people don’t want to be a part of any of it.
I confess that as I age I worry about my coming years, and I worry about my husband’s too. When did we get here? Where did the years go?
I resolve to stay active for as long as I can, to have a young mindset, and to live in the moment since tomorrow is unsure. It’s not just cliche anymore. I will ‘think young – and accept change’ as long as possible.
I confess that I do not enjoy nature enough. Getting out in nature will help my above confession about aging. I live on a river and rarely get ‘close up’ to it and enjoy the beauty it offers.
My resolution is to walk down the dock at least every other day and enjoying the creatures, the birds, the water fowl, turtles, and the breezes, the warmth of the sun, and more.
Confessions are found regularly in silent prayer, and sometimes in our courtrooms. Confessing can clean the soul, and it can keep a person humble. We all do wrong, or we do nothing, and then we try NOT to think about it. Or hide it. Even worse, lie about it. But, taking the time to confess is important – and it’s how we come to repent and then work on personal resolutions.
Will you make a New Year’s resolution or two in the coming days? If so, will you first confess that you need to do better?
I suppose every resolution comes from that.
Marla’s Musings 