Happy New Year! More Than a Greeting
Colorful graphics and “Happy New Year” written in fancy fonts, crossed my social media. TV and radio announcers echoed the greeting with hopes that the year would hold health and good things for all. Store clerks, even though not excited about working on January 1, politely wished customers a “Happy New Year.”
Happy: a word that conveys pleasure often accompanied by smiles and laughter.
New: refers to a first time, recently discovered, or fresh.
Year: earth’s one revolution around the sun.
[Tweet “January 1 brings a day filled with hope, promise, and plans for another year. How can it be more than a greeting?”]
Review
Each new year presents an opportunity to look back and review the past one. If you keep a journal, have you re-read your 2022 entries? Memory fails us, so if you’re like me, seeing written prayers, the description of an experience, or notes about a quote, devotion, or Bible verse gives me pause to remember why I recorded my thoughts.
If you have a calendar, review days where you marked appointments, plans and meetings that were significant. Do you recall how you lived the day unmarked? Was it restful, boring, lonely? A time to catch up? It’s good to review to be reminded that every day:
Your love, LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. (Psalm 36:5 NIV)
Revisit
Our fresh year is also an opportunity to revisit. What was good and not so good? What do you wish you did more of and less of? What did you learn as you revisited?
Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12 NIV)
Re-focus
With an opportunity for firsts, we can look forward and refocus. Rather than a “To Do” list or resolutions that often leave us defeated and frustrated, can we plan with God? We can re-enter with prayer and reading the Word to find direction. What do I see as God’s priorities, purposes, and plans for me? How is He leading and directing me?
Your Word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path. (Psalm 119:105 NIV)
Renew
Those “not so good” and “do less of” answers? Lack of clarity or direction? Perhaps you can use time today to sit back to renew.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2 NIV)
Re-center
A meditation I use morning and evening is Lectio 365. This convenient Bible app offers an audio and printed format. One of the first statements is an appeal to be ready to listen and “recenter my scattered senses.” Re-center: an opportunity in the coming year to draw away from distractions and draw in to focus on what God has to say to us
In Psalm 1 and the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 and Luke 6, the word “blessed” means “happy.” Can that three-word cliché, “Happy New Year,” take on new meaning for us? How are you approaching a “Happy New Year”? Will you plan to review, revisit, refocus, renew, and re-center? Perhaps you will find a verse or theme to serve as a guiding principle this year. We can make the new year more than a greeting, but one that is blessed and fresh. Share your thoughts with us.
The Conversation
Great thoughts here Ms. Marilyn. I’ve long believed that, “If you don’t know where you’ve been, then there’s no way you can know where you’re going.” Have also harkened to all who would listen, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t fix it.” If we can’t look back at the previous year and see how we’ve grown spiritually, then we need to change tactics and strategies to correct that in the coming year. Enjoyed your encouraging post ma’am.
“If you can’t measure it, you can’t fix it.” -love that! Thank you, J.D.
I like the word “refocus” rather than resolution. When we look back at the past year to review our blessings, we can return to thankfulness. We can also see what we may not have done right and refocus on change for the new year instead of condemning ourselves for missing our goals. Thanks for this New Year message, Marilyn!
Yes, Barbara, and refocus so we are not defeated and hard on ourselves.
Thank you for this. What a great idea to review our prayer journals yearly. It always amazes and fills me with hope to read my past concerns which are no longer concerns because God has worked them out.
I don’t do it often enough. At year’s end sounds perfect and consistent since I’m in the habit of reviewing my past goals yearly. Love this suggestion!
It’s still early in the new year, and although I’m behind in reading your message, it still fits. Thank you for this refreshing look at the new year and strategies to make it the best year ever. Happy New Year, Marilyn!