Begin again.
How many times did I find myself doing just that this past year? I’m writing this a little over a week since the ushering of the brand new year. How quickly 2014 went! It felt like this most eventful year just zipped by. And now, again, the hours in each day just seem to be flying by.
Begin again.
In one year I moved jobs twice. I got back to my previous employer with the intent of retiring there 10 years down the road. Those were my plans.
Obviously God had other plans. Completely blindsided in November by changes in the organizational setup, whatever dreams I had of retiring there were dashed and had to be thrown to the wind, and it was not of my own doing.
When it happened, it felt like someone had died so suddenly and unexpectedly. And so I reeled, just as anyone who has ever been through any kind of loss would feel.
At the end of the year, I closed that chapter of my life and haven’t looked back. Now, at the start of this year, I find myself brimming with hope at the prospect of a new beginning elsewhere. What is grace?
‘Carpe diem’
Begin again.
The previous year began with the loss of a friend to cancer, and the year ended with the loss of one more. Both of them were bright and vibrant women, at the prime of their lives, who left behind two young daughters, and partners who loved them with everything they had. Carpe diem was the mantra again and again each time we encountered a loss in 2014.
Over the last two weeks, three of my high school batch mates lost their parents. Such is the cycle and rhythm of life, and I suppose that when you reach 50, this kind of loss becomes a more frequent occurrence. It’s a constant reminder to cherish and make the most of the time we have left with our elders. Life is unpredictable, there are no guarantees. So don’t put off that visit or phone call. You never really know.
A good friend sent this to me and it struck a chord. I think of it again today in light of the horrible terrorist attack in Paris, and of all the losses I’ve been reading and hearing about recently: “If we remembered everyday that we could lose someone at any moment, we would love them more fiercely and freely, and without fear—not because there is nothing to lose, but because everything can always be lost.”
Touché.
Begin again.
A health scare is always the best way to get your priorities right. When you are flat on your back, staring upwards, you definitely know who is in control. And so surrendering and letting go becomes easier.
Forgiveness, and kindness too. Life is too short to be miserable or to be unkind. A health scare is also a wake-up call, a red flag, an alarm, to set things right. The beginning of a new year, I read somewhere, is like everyone’s birthday. A new lease. What perfect time to try to get fit again. If you want to enjoy the years ahead unhampered by lifestyle diseases that could have been prevented, now is the time to do it.
Begin again.
The year that was was also a great testament to the resiliency of the human spirit, the power of unconditional love, and God’s never ending grace. No matter how unworthy we are (like most of us, unless you’re a saint), He always picks us up each time we fall or falter. Miracles were abundant in 2014, big and small ones, each one worth giving thanks for.
Grace
Every end of the year, a word comes to me, and usually it becomes the dominant theme of the year. In 2013 it wasn’t a word, but a phrase—“Ready, get set, go!” And that’s exactly how my 2013 turned out to be. The following year it was “hope”—a word I fervently hung on to throughout the year, in addition to faith.
For 2015, I believe it is “grace,” and I look forward with a heart of gratitude to its many manifestations as the days and months go by.
How does your word come to you? Look inward, be sensitive to the signs—in God’s word, from your encounters with other people, in the things you read or hear. Be discerning, and be patient, it will make its way to you. And whatever it is, remember it, and hold on to it, because it will help carry you through.
I stumbled upon this passage from the Timehop app on my phone. It was something I had posted three years ago, but it’s always a good reminder to oneself at the beginning of every year.
“Be grateful to have been given one more day, let alone one more year. Remember to dance in your nightgown or PJs, sing in the shower, ride a bike, chase the wind, stare at a sunset. Give those you love big kisses, huge hugs and the words “I love you” often and always. Nurture your body and don’t starve your soul. Spend time with the elderly to better appreciate life. Call mom and dad wherever they are to thank them. Remember that you are not guaranteed tomorrow and that today is as good as it gets. Thank God for every “thing” every “day,” every moment and everyone in your life.”
I pray for you all a grace-filled 2015. May your days be blessed, and may His love and light enfold you throughout this brand new year!
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