On this New Years Eve of 2017, I am thinking about the past year – all of the good, the bad, and the ugly – and, more importantly, thinking about what I want to happen in 2018. In 2017, my word of the year was BOLD. I tried to love, connect, grow, and serve boldly with joy and gratitude in 2017, even while our world appeared to crumble and collapse.
In 2017, I finished my severe, extreme menopause finally – yea! – and got a new lease on life through the grace of God. In 2017, I started a new job at my daughter’s school, which I love, love, love. And, in 2017, I watched as my young, 49 year old husband had a mild heart attack in October, followed by quintuple bypass, followed by aeration of the heart, followed by a new lease on life that continues to this day. As others say good riddance to 2017, we say thank you to God, family, and friends who changed our lives forever! We are so grateful as we count our many blessings, and we say that it was a great year. Yes! It was a great year! Even in the midst of it all – especially in the hardships – we found our joy in 2017. And, for that, we are grateful.
In 2018, my word of the year will be DO.
As in, “Be doers of the Word.”
As in, “Do unto others as you would have them do to you.”
As in, “Do not be afraid. I am with you.”
As in, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season, we will reap if we do not give up.”
As in, “Do not be conformed by the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
As in “Do Love. Do Connect. Do Grow. Do Serve.”
With this word, DO, I plan to do a little bit for myself and do a whole lot for others. So, in 2018, if I am to love, connect, grow, and serve – if I am to do – here are a few things on my to-do list:
I plan to get my Masters of Library Science, starting either in the summer of 2018 or the fall of 2018.
I plan to go on a couple of mission trips this year – one through my church and one through a local organization. I want to go on a working trip with my family to the Dominican Republic and hopefully meet the child that we are sponsoring there, and I want to work at an overnight camp for kids who are in the foster care system.
I plan to work hard to create social justice for the least of these – regardless of their race, religion, sexual orientation, class, or status in life. If that means donating my time, I’ll donate my time. If that means donating my money, I’ll donate my money. If that means protesting to secure a better life for someone who is God’s wonderful creation made in his image, I will protest.
Finally, I plan to work hard to start to break down the man-made barriers – the division – between Christian and non-Christian. Non-Christian friends, I will continue to love you, connect with you, grow with you, and serve you – yes. But, here’s one very specific thing that I plan to take on.
Non-Christian friends, I plan to work to disentangle Christianity from a single political party. Non-Christian friends, I see and hear you. Non-Christian friends, I watch as you scratch your head in disbelief as we Christians vote – in general – in droves for a single political party without question. Non-Christian friends, I know that you don’t trust us – that you don’t believe us when we say that we care about you – because we stick together when it comes our politics. I know this because you’ve told me.
Non-Christian friends, in my heart, I believe that God never intended for Christians to be so tied to a single political party. Non-Christian friends, in my heart, I believe that God wants Christians to be independent of the political system. Non-Christian friends, in my heart, yes, I believe that God intends for Christians to use our toolkit – our Bibles, prayers, God-given wisdom, and our Holy Spirit – to influence our vote. But, non-Christian friends, I also believe that God never meant for us, as Christians, to become so closely aligned with a political party that when the word, Christian, is spoken, you – my non-Christian friend – automatically think that the synonym is Republican. I plan to help drive the change.
As I wrap up, you may be wondering – or maybe not – why these are my goals for 2018. I do it because God never intended for me to sit on the sidelines – in my comfort – while others suffer. I do it because I want others to feel loved and valued as God’s wonderful masterpiece in community in his world. I do it because I want to play an active role in this: “Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done. On Earth as it is in heaven.” And, I do it because I know that my God isn’t finished with me yet, and he expects me to “keep doing good for good” until he is done.
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