Saturday, January 31, 2015

New Year In Focus

So, how is 2015 working out for you so far?

Are your resolutions still holding? Are you satisfied with the way things are going?

We are now at the end of January. Perhaps 2015 does not look quite as shiny as it did just a couple of weeks ago.  Maybe your resolutions have already bitten the dust. It all seemed so easy on January 1st, but now we are back to the same old thing, and the same old dissatisfaction is rearing its head.

Could it be that we are looking in the wrong direction?  So often our resolutions are focussed on things we think will make our lives happier. But maybe that isn't what it is all about. Or maybe happiness does not come from looking within, but from looking outward.

This world is filled with the need for hope. What if we resolved to fill that need, even in some small way? In our own backyards, there are people who could use some encouragement- those who are living with illness or loss, those who are homeless, in prison or imprisoned in dead end jobs. And beyond our own neighbourhoods,  we see even greater needs. Around the world people are starving, dying in epidemics, living under the constraints of dictatorial regimes, political unrest, terrorism and war.

What can we do to make a difference? We may not be able to solve the world's problems, or  even our neighbourhood's, but we can have a positive influence on the world around us by giving away a little bit of ourselves. Something as simple as lending an ear to someone we know, or praying for those in crisis, writing a letter concerning an injustice, or writing a cheque for a good cause, can make more of a difference than we realize.

So, this year I am making a new resolution, even if it is the end of January. I am going to ask God to help me see the world through His eyes, whether I am looking down the street, or across the globe. And as I look around me,  I am going to ask the question- what can I do? I have no doubt that He will answer in a very concrete way.