On New Years' Day

It may be downright un-American, it's probably contrary, and maybe even sacrilegious to admit this but I've never been a big fan of New Year's as a holiday.

To me, it's always seemed to be much ado about what is basically the act of buying a new calendar and turning to a fresh page. As Chris Farley once said in what is about my favorite comedy sketch of all time, about living in a van down by the river, "Well Whoop De Friggin' Do!"

To add insult to injury, New Years always seems to be the moment when I have to come down off my Christmas high and come back to reality with a bump. It means taking down the tree, packing away the Santa Snoopy that dances, my Nutcracker men, my favorite holly printed tablecloth, making sure the Baby Jesus and His Family are all tucked away in their special box...you get the picture.

I gave it a valiant effort last night.  I stayed up, yes I occasionally 'listed' to one side of the couch and jerked awake again when I realized I was drifting. I unearthed the champagne flutes, the ones that are only used once a year and thus have to be rinsed and polished to get rid of the dust and that slight smell like cream rinse.

I endured the inane commentary of the cable news hosts who'd clearly had more than just 'a' glass of Asti Spumante.

Then came a whole segment on 'Resolutions'. And that tore it..my sore spot, the New Years' Resolution. I've always resented the whole concept of the New Year's resolution.

Amazingly though, I kept my resolution for 2013. And I completed it last night. I'd made it a goal to read the entire Bible in 2013 and in the final hours of 2013, I read the last chapter in Revelation.

It wasn't so much a resolution though, than a promise. A promise that I made to myself and to God.
And as I turned the last page, I realized that somewhere along the line, it quit being merely a resolution and it had become a habit, a way of living. A lifeline at the end of a day, a time set aside for just God and I.

There were days when I resented it, days where I admit I missed my readings completely and I would read like mad in the days that followed to make up for my lapses, days when the words were just that words on a page.  I remember being angry sometimes because I thought it would be a life-changing experience and I didn't feel any different. I thought it would make me love people more, be more patient, less critical and judgmental.  Hah!

If anything, I became more critical...watching the series "The Bible" on the History Channel last spring, I annoyed fellow watchers by constantly correcting the dialogue when and where they had taken certain artistic licenses, "Hey, so and so, didn't say that, actually it was...."

I remember becoming irrationally angry with the Israelites when reading the prophets in the Old Testament. Essentially, by about halfway through, I made the Pharisees look tame!

What I've actually learned most though, through this experience, in the final analysis... surprised me. The thing I most learned is... Hint: I still can't name all the prophets in order.

The answer is perseverance.

That when you fall down, get back up. That if God doesn't quit on me, "being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it" (Philippians 1:6), I shouldn't quit either on Him or on myself.

So in these days of 2014, I'll not make a resolution, but rather a promise to myself to persevere, in my job, (even on the days where nothing goes right), in my relationships, in my stewardship, in my health, and in my quest for happiness and for joy.

I wish nothing less for you as well.