Chalkboards

Its very strange to be at the start of a new year when things are getting back to normal. I feel I am reminding myself that it is only January, still, and the rest of the year is yet to come. And I can honestly say that I am excited to see how this year plays out.

God has already set things in motion this year that I can feel, the waves coming from the ripples but I don't know where it starts. Its like the opposite of the standard pebble throwing, when you see the stone but don't know how long the ripples will last or how far they will spread. I know that they waves are coming but I don't know what pebbles God has planned on throwing though I am already feeling the anticipation!

In our home office we have painted the chimney breast with chalkboard paint which we  use as a big memo board, a selection of random notes and things to remember, but this year, 2017 a year of distinction, I want to do something different. Instead of counting down days until deadlines and meetings, which we do on our phones and calendars and internal monologues, I am going to write down all the good that has happened to us this year, everytime something that God has blessed us wth will get written on the board.  

In the past we have looked back at what we haven't done over that year, the progress we don't feel we have made, the money we could have spent else where or something we did too much or not enough of. The truth is it is far too easy to pick fault at ourselves. We always compare what has happened with what we think should have happened. A lot of it does rest on choices we have made, and sometimes choices we have ignored, and some of it happens by default, bad luck. 

And that is why I want to write down the good things; I can only remember some of the amazing stuff that I was blessed with when I take time to fish them out of my memories. These wonderful gifts aren't the forefront of my thoughts. I haven't programmed my brain to bring the good forward automatically. 

So while other people are making resolutions and goals for this year, which I will also set myself plans for, I will not stop there. I will not  tick off what has come to be or regret things that have not, but I will add to my chalkboard wall every good thing that happens which will remind me to keep it at the front of my thoughts. Something to measure my year on, not to devalue any of the good thats happened because I haven't made the choice to place importance on His blessings. It can be something as simple as having a dinner at a friends house to getting a new car.  We are three weeks into a new year and I myself have four items for my chalkboard.

We have to look forward to the future, we have to be excited about the plans we have in our walk with Jesus, but we have to remember to be grateful for the blessings we have already received, the blessings which allow us perspective when we are doing life.

Happy New Year :)