How will you live out her words?

It’s a new year’s resolution! Who’s in it with me?

Well, friends, it’s that time of year again–the beginning of the year. It’s time to make another New Year’s Resolution! To be honest, I have never made an official New Year’s Resolution. I’ve never been a fan of setting myself up for failure … but on the other hand, making a point to put all of your trust in God can’t possibly set you up for failure.  As I sit here and read this quote over and over again, many thoughts come to mind, and I can’t help but want to declare this as my official “New Year’s Resolution”.

How am I going to put myself into the hands of Providence?

We live in constant fear of the future because it is the one thing that we feel like we don’t have complete control over. That’s just it. We don’t have complete control over the future and we should accept that fact.  This year, I’m going to try very hard not to do these things in hopes that it will help me better live through the words of Mother Theodore:

Stop asking myself, “Where am I going”?

Sometimes I go home, I sit down, I look at my life, and I literally ask myself this question. I’m at a point in my life where there are so many loose ends. I’m newly married, I have a new job, and I have no children. There are so many opportunities to take and choices to make right now!  That very thought is both exhilarating and frightening. What if I put my foot in the wrong place? I am afraid of what will come of it. This year I’m going say, “forget it”, and I am going to step forward with God.  I will walk the perfect pathway that God has made for me and not the deteriorating road that society has paved.

Stop trying to change the future!

I know I’m not alone on this one. Even if I don’t realize I’m doing it, I am constantly trying to counteract things that I think might result in something bad for me. I’m beating myself up over things that haven’t even happened yet! For example, say it’s going to snow. So I go to the store and buy a snow shovel and ice melt, put chains on my tires and do everything else I can to make sure that I can still get out of the house to go where ever I need to the next day … because God forbid I stay home with my family for a day! Instead of trying so hard to dig my way out of a snow storm (that hasn’t even happened yet), maybe I should take the time to listen to God’s voice. Perhaps I’m being told, “It’s time for you to stay home and appreciate what you have there.” When it is time for me to fulfill my other obligations, the snow will melt.

Stop concerning myself with what others think (and vice versa).

It’s easy for all of us to wonder about what others think of us. Do they think I’m successful? Do they think I’m smart or just plain ignorant? Do they think I’m cool or kind of weird?  I wish I could answer every time with a genuine “who cares”, but unfortunately those questions always go unanswered for me.  Even worse, I know that I am guilty of judging other people and perhaps that’s why I lack the ability to say “who cares”. When I see a news story, I catch myself saying things like “What were they thinking!? Who does that kind of thing?”  The bottom line is that this is a foolish habit that’s hard to break. The only person who we should ever be concerned about judging us is God. I want to live every day through God and stop looking over my shoulder to see who is watching me and wondering what they think about me. On the other hand, I want to stop being the person who is watching and commenting behind the scenes about someone else’s business. When I see a news story, rather than saying something like, “they’re crazy,” maybe I could pray for them instead.

Now, I’m no angel! It will be very hard for me to give up many things that I have control over and live, breathe, and operate off of Providence. However, I am going to do my best to remind myself of this quote and its true meaning each day. When I am afraid of facing tomorrow’s problem, I’m going to close my eyes and take a big breath and tell myself, “Put yourself gently into the hands of Providence.”