A more important resolution

Today, the day after New Year’s Day, is my favorite day in the entire year. The clutter and chaos of Christmas has cleared and the new year stretches out like an empty, pothole-free road, its twists and turns not yet revealed, but all the more enticing for it.

Historically, on this day, I get up early, grab a cup of dark coffee, and pull the couch to the fireplace with my journal to set goals for the coming year. I love tweaking my schedule, coming up with a new workout plan, setting new writing goals.

But last year I didn’t feel the urge to write any resolutions. I’m not sure if it was having set so many goals in previous years and not achieving them or what, but as I sat with my pen on Jan. 2, 2014, no inspiration came. When I told my husband about this, he said, “Well, maybe this isn’t a year for doing, but a year for being.”

And it was. Last year I didn’t write anything earth-shattering, nor did I publish in any publication of clout (besides this website, of course). I neither started nor finished writing a book. No huge home-improvement projects took place, nor did I conquer my besetting craving for salt.

As I sit here writing this, though, I’m OK with 2014’s non-achievements. Taking a year to be didn’t kill me, as I feared not conquering a certain number of bucket-list items or attaining some vital self-improvements might. In fact, this year I once again won’t be making any of my usual resolutions.

There’s a billboard by our house that says something along the lines of “Don’t make resolutions, have daily devotions.” Sappy, yes, but I think the billboard writer was onto something. A daily spiritual practice via the spiritual disciplines of prayer, fasting, simplicity, etc., has historically been a Christian’s tool for spiritual growth, not once-a-year, hyper-ambitious, sky-scraping resolutions that are forgotten by Valentine’s Day.

While incorporating some of these disciplines into our harried lives won’t necessarily help us get out of debt, eat more kale, or lose weight (well, maybe with fasting?), I’m praying that they help me and my family know God more intimately than ever before.

No resolution is more important.