On Wallin Pond: The 4 R's of New Year's

Having come through the busy-ness of the holidays, it was nice to finally get a little breather. I told Andy that my plan for New Year's weekend was to "not have a plan." Don't get me wrong, I love the Christmas season and all it brings with parties and family and church, but after all of that extra activity, I confess I'm tired.

It was an extra gift that the holiday was on a Sunday this year. That meant that the office was closed on Monday and our day off is Tuesday. That's right, not counting church on Sunday morning, we had 4 days off in a row.

It's a known phenomenon that gym memberships go up in January but by March, attendance is lagging again. So some might say what's the use of making New Year's resolutions? In a couple of months, the resolution will be forgotten and things will go on as they always did. I disagree. How can a person grow and improve if she doesn't make a conscious effort?

So my 4 days off were profitable in Resting, Reflecting, Restoring and Resolving.

Rest

Matthew 11:28 ~ "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Jesus beckons)

Psalm 116:7 ~ "Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you."

Reflect (examine)

Lamentations 3:40 ~ "Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord."

1 Corinthians 11:28 ~ "A [wo]man ought to examine[her]self..."

2 Corinthians 13:5 ~ "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves."

Restore

Psalm 51:12 ~ "Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."

Psalm 23:3 ~ "He restores my soul..."

Resolve

Psalm 17:3 - "Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, you will find nothing; I have resolved that my mouth will not sin."

Daniel 1:8 ~ "But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine."

1 Corinthians 2:2 ~ "For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified."

I've been thinking lately that I really want to concentrate this year on Being rather than Doing. I don't think I have a problem with the doing unless it's doing too much and placing too much importance on what I do. God is more concerned with who I am than in what I do. I desire that I be more like Mary this year, choosing the best, rather than being so concerned about many things. This will really be a challenge because all my life I've received my worth in my accomplishments (or felt guilty if I didn't accomplish anything). I hear the Accuser and believe his lies that I am a "less than" if I'm not busy. But he is not the one I want to listen to. Jesus said his yoke is easy and his burden is light. And He certainly does not accuse, but accepts me as I am in full and free forgiveness.

This does not mean I do nothing to grow in my relationship with Him, for 2 Peter 1:5 says we need to "make every effort to add to your faith, goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love." Talk about a list! But I can do none of these things in my own strength. Apart from Jesus and His enabling power, I can do nothing (John 15:5), but I can do everything through Him who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13).

So it was a good weekend to be able to just rest and re-group. It was a lot of time, though, and I did do some projects that had been waiting for me. The one thing I was especially glad to get done was work on the one last remnant on our property that was still full of weeds and poison ivy and various other vines. I had started working on it last March but ended up getting poison ivy so bad that I was incapacitated for a while and didn't have the nerve to tackle that again in the heat of the summer. But the weather on Monday was warm and pleasant (for January) so it was a perfect day for working outside. I'm very happy with the results.

New little cedar and holly trees are allowed, but no vines!

Andy spent the whole weekend organizing his workshop - the old garage. We had at one time considered making that into another room for the house. But he really needs a place to keep all his tools and do his work projects. So we decided it would be more pleasurable a work place if it was more organized. He put up peg board and hung up all the shovels, rakes, and anything else that would hang up. And he threw a lot of things away that he had been hoarding.