Thirsty

A new year makes me happy!

I anticipate it almost as much as I do Christmas. It is a favorite time for me.

I love the idea that we can wipe the slate clean, and change direction. That we can set new goals, reevaluate our lives and start over. We get the opportunity to breathe again, to reset our plans, and to say good-bye to the hard stuff from the year before.

I think I like it so much because it reminds me of God’s grace…being made new, starting fresh, leaving behind the failures of our past.

However, this year has been different. I’ve had a slow start. I haven’t seemed to find time to do my yearly evaluation – the time when I sit down, think about where I want to be a year from now, and realign my priorities to support that goal.

Instead I’ve been thirsty. Busy and thirsty.

Busy with things that aren’t taking me to where God called me.

Thirsty from a lack of time with Him.

I’m not just a little thirsty…I’m dehydrated. Parched. Dried out.

Don’t get me wrong, I am still praying, still in the Word, still doing all the things I’ve always done.

Just not in the same way.

I’ve been in hurry-up mode. Hurry up and get this done so I can get on with my to-do list.

It’s been an ongoing thing this last year…actually since my mom first got sick with Alzheimer’s. I’ve never fully had the rhythm of my life back — the order that I had when I was able to spend unhurried quiet time each morning with God.

I rush from thing to thing. Good things. God things. But not always things He has called me to do.

I need to take a long drink of water…Living Water.

I think it is a conundrum for any Christ-follower and especially for those of us in ministry. We love Jesus. We want to serve. We say yes to good things. We offer our presence and our prayers.

It is what we do.

It is who we are.

It is how we breathe.

In many ways serving Him is our “sweet spot” and where we are happiest and most fulfilled.

That’s a good thing. But if we aren’t careful…we get so busy that we become thirsty and don’t even know it.

That’s what happened to me.

So this New Year I’m taking a different approach. I will eventually write down those goals and plans. But first…I’m going to get a tall glass and spend some time drinking in His Word.

That my friends, may be the best New Year’s resolution I have ever made.