In the holiday haze that is October-December, the new year is upon us before we even have time to recover from all the fun. It seems like everyone and everything around is ready—with their word of the year, with sales of exercise equipment, with “how to” posts promising a better version of you, your home, your life. It’s loud, and we can feel our spirits quicken under the pressure to start the new year “right.” We overextend our yearly goals and then become disappointed when they don’t work out. Luckily, there is another way to do this whole new year thing that can give us breathing room.
When I married my husband, Eric (who was born in Taiwan and spent his teen years in Canada), I was introduced to tasty foods, two new cultures, and different holiday traditions. While Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year in the United States, the New Year celebration is the highly anticipated event of the year in Taiwan and other countries in Asia; it lasts about two weeks because they know how to celebrate! They welcome the fresh start of another year in grand ways that include special foods, fireworks, and traveling to see family. Because they celebrate a lunar New Year, the dates change from year to year and usually fall towards the end of January. Living in the United States, we’re not really able to celebrate Lunar New Year to its fullest (can you imagine asking for two weeks off of work so close to the Christmas holiday??), but one of the many things I appreciate about Lunar New Year is time—this year, Lunar New Year starts January 25, a whole month AFTER Christmas. I take advantage of this cushion of time to really think through how I want to spend my time in the next year. You may or may not celebrate Lunar New Year, but I want to encourage you to take your time as you set goals for 2020. There’s no rule that they must be set by January 1. If you have already set your goals but feel the pressure mounting, consider them as a first draft. You can always adjust them.
Over the next month at Women Disciples, we’re going to take our time with 2020. We’re going spend time resting, praying, listening. We’ll take the scenic route with God know that with God is it ALWAYS about the journey. As we slow down, we’ll first consider HOW to make goals and then look at three important relationships in the life of a Woman Disciple. Maybe we’ll only focus on one relationship this year. Maybe it’s time to consider all three. Regardless, we won’t be rushed. Our goal is not to be the first or the best; our goal always is to follow Jesus today better than we did yesterday. That’s worth slowing down for.
Movement Step: Take a nap. Rest is holy. In American culture, it’s also revolutionary. Whatever God has for us in 2020, rest is vital.
