As the new year approached, I have been thinking a lot about what I want my resolutions to be. I love New Year’s resolutions – I love a clean slate, a chance to reflect on the year that has past, a hopeful look towards what we want to the year ahead to be. Usually, I make a long list of goals for the year, some personal, some professional. Lists and plans are my love language, and having a structured way to approach the year has always felt comfortable.
However, this year, I have been thinking about my approach to resolutions a little differently. Instead of picking things I want to accomplish, like losing a certain number of pounds, going on a specific trip, reading X number of books, etc., I have been thinking about the mindset I need to have this year to improve all areas of my life instead.
One of the best things I have ever heard someone in AA say is that he thought of God like a gentleman, and that a gentleman doesn’t go where he’s not invited and doesn’t stay where he isn’t made welcome. I have had that rattling around in my brain for the past six months, and as I have been thinking about the new year, I decided that I was going to lean in on this concept of God as a gentleman.
So, how exactly do I do that? First, I need to be intentional about inviting God in to all areas of my life.
For the past few months, I have been taking my dog hiking each morning in the woods behind our neighborhood. It’s great for her because she gets off her leash and runs all over while I hike the trail down to the waterfall and back. It’s great for me because it gives me a set aside time each morning to seek a connection with God. I am not very good at sitting still and praying/meditating (#adhd), so doing this while hiking makes me pay attention to what I am saying and hearing.
Once we are in the woods and I don’t think my neighbors can see or hear me anymore, I start praying out loud, starting with “Hey God, I am inviting you into my life today.” Then, I work through the prayers I know by heart and then, move into the prayers of my heart that are more a conversation with God to lift up the things weighing on me. By the time we get to the halfway point, I have usually shared what I need to share, and shift into meditation and listening mode. Now, I want to be more intentional to make sure I am including all areas of my life from my relationships to other people, my relationship with my body, my thought life and everything else.
I am also going to need to spend more time in reading or listening to material I know will help me keep me in the right mindset. I have stacks of books and magazines that I can use as a resource to reframe my thinking when I need a shift or a nudge in the right direction. I have hours of podcasts and music that I can listen to when I want to absorb a good message while I am on the move. This year, I will spend more time making use of those.
Second, I need to conduct myself in a way that makes God feel welcome. In thinking about my actions lately, I know that this is where I have the most work to do. Am I showing gratitude for what I already have? Am I acting in a way that I would be proud to have someone see? Am I using language that I would want repeated back to me? Am I choosing grace, patience, kindness and love when interacting with other people? Am I looking to give rather than take? Am I making good use of the time I have?
I am cringing even while writing those words, because I have definitely fallen short across the board. However, I know that the new year (and each new day, for that matter) offers me a chance to reset and start moving in the right direction, however clumsily that is.
So, here’s to a new attitude for a new year and a renewed connection with the main gentleman in my life.
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