Jordan almost started her New Year’s Resolution yesterday. She wants to see how many days in a row she can log 10,000 steps on her fitbit. We were about four shows deep into a mother-daughter Tiny House Hunters marathon when she realized she only had 2,000 steps. Day One was going to be a bust. Until…
Jordan at age 12 figured out the secret to a successful resolution: Resolutions must begin on Mondays. If you subscribe to the same theory, then welcome to your new beginning!
I was standing on a ladder straining to keep a steady hand this weekend when Jordan asked Saul and me if we had made any New Year’s Resolutions. Saul was painting in another room but yelled something like, “I resolve to be awesome. Oh wait, I already am awesome. Good. I’m done!”
I started laughing and now there is light blue paint on the lake house ceiling.
Jo said, “What about you, Mom?” to which I replied, “I’m going to seek the Kingdom of God above all else, live righteously, and then He will give me everything I need.”
“Isn’t that what you do every year, Mom?”
Even with the eye rolling, that still felt like such a compliment coming from my daughter. I’m glad she thinks I continually try to put God first, but the problem is, I don’t.
Lately, I’ve been letting the details come first.
How will I ever come up with something clever enough to say in front of 500 people?
How can I convince more stores to carry my book?
How can I ask my friends to write reviews on Amazon when they’re already so busy? (By the way, that one is a hint. If you have read Kindness is Contagious, would you PLEASE go to Amazon and leave a review? THANK YOU!)
Am I spending enough time with my kids? With my husband?
Maybe your details look different than mine, but we all have them. Those little worries that can overtake our brain if we let them.
The strangest thing happened when I had breast cancer. All those little worries disappeared. Yes, sometimes they were replaced with big worries, but I think the reason they were gone is because I gave something else my undivided attention. God.
I knew there was nothing I could do for myself in those intense moments of uncertainty, so I turned to the only one who could help me. I focused on him and his power instead of me and my weakness. It was the only way to get through the day.
Once the cancer was gone, apparently I thought I could take back the reins.
How silly of me. There is not a single thing I do that wouldn’t be better or easier with God involved. It’s just a fact.
So that’s my New Year’s Resolution. I’m going to intentionally redirect my focus on how big God is instead of looking at the problems piling up outside my back door.
Every week, I’m going to memorize one verse from the bible to remind me that God is good and that God is Great. Wanna join me?
If you’ve never read a bible verse before, don’t be scared. They are just like other sentences you read, only wiser. Write the words down on a piece of paper and carry it with you. When your brain wants you to think of something negative, see if you can call the words to your mind without looking at the paper. Ready?
Here’s my first one:
“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” Matthew 6:33 (NLT)
Let me know if you’re actually going to memorize these with me, so I can 1) keep sharing them with you or 2) write about something else. And while you’re online, will you please head over to Amazon and tell the world about my book? It will mean the world to me. 😉
