New Year's Re-Solution

The New Year is upon us and I’ve been thinking about the whole New Year’s resolution thing. I’m really looking forward to our upcoming series at church, “New Year’s Revolution.” Note I said REVOLUTION not RESOLUTION. I don’t usually do too well with resolutions, either with making them or keeping them once made. How about you?

There was one point before I’d gotten a handle on my fibromyalgia, when I felt God told me just to make my bed. Every day, even if I couldn’t do anything else, just make my bed. I think the timing was around New Year's so it became a kind of New Year’s resolution. There were days when literally that was all I could do, and it might take me an hour, at that. But it was smart (yes, folks, God IS smart!), because at least I felt that I’d accomplished SOMETHING, and if all I could do then was climb back into bed, it was a made one. Plus, I used to be lazy about making the bed even on good days. It’s so much nicer to come home from work and find the bed is made.

And Michael likes to help. Which is always a timely reminder for me that everything doesn’t REALLY have to be perfectly straight!

Regarding the NYR thing I was thinking about my cat, Spike (who just jumped onto my lap). I took him in for his annual checkup a few weeks ago and got the usual lecture about brushing his teeth. Having no intention of actually doing so, I failed to ask how that might be accomplished, but really, how do you brush a cat’s teeth? Hey doc, there’s a reason his name is Spike, you know?

I picture getting him into a giant tube sock type-thing with just his head sticking out. Then sitting on him… gently… and wearing those thick leather welding gloves my husband uses, I could try prying his jaws apart, and then stick a little rubber ball in between his front sharp teeth and go for the back ones. With that tuna-flavored toothpaste they actually make. Is this what God had in mind when He made us stewards over the living creatures? I’m not so sure. Plus, after that, the cat would probably go into hiding for the rest of the year, so there’d go that resolution.

For me, the resolution thing is just kind of a set-up for failure. I think God has graced us with every new day being a NEW DAY! I don’t know about you, but I can’t really take life in year-size bites. Day-size ones are enough of a challenge, and I’m guessing God knows this about us. “THIS is the day that the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24, emphasis mine.) How about a New Day’s resolution? TODAY I will rejoice and be glad!

And NOT brush Spike’s teeth! (He made me add that last bit.)