Last year our family began a New Years Day tradition that I hope will be something we continue every year. This year was our second year- so we are going in the right direction.
When I grew up as a child, I remember being nervous about New Years Eve. The change from one year to the next seemed really huge and uncertain. I would imagine that my view was also influenced by the fact that the church I grew up in sometimes had New Years Eve events where they showed these horrific "end times" films. If you don't know what I am talking about, good for you! If you do, then I am sure you can relate! I imagine the purpose was to get your attention and perhaps help you commit to live your life and faith better. As a young girl, they just made me afraid.
So for my family, I thought maybe we could usher in the new year a little more gracefully. I'm not saying there shouldn't be opportunity provided to reflect on how your life and faith could be better, but maybe starting with a positive view would be nice. So I created "100 Things I am Thankful For" lists. Why 100? I don't know. I guess I thought 10 was too small and could be rushed through too superficially. 100 seemed to be more challenging and provided more opportunity to really think deeply. You have to work at it to uncover the reality of all the things we normally take for granted and are blessed with. And after opening your mind and heart that way, it seems that the pipeline stays on and continues to flow.
My original intent was to have family time together where we sit down, slow down, and intentionally write out our lists. The idea was that we would each create ours separately and perhaps afterwards we might be able to share them.
Let me confess that the reality of this process has been more humorous than expected! It is completely free form and evolves like a runaway train. It has, however, already created some fun family memories, a lot of smiling, and new "one-liners" to joke about. We ultimately end up with some hilarious responses while bantering together. Something along the lines of this:
Child: "I can't think of anything."
Me: "Think of things last year that you were glad to have or do. Think of all the ways God has blessed you. Walk around the house and see if anything else comes to mind."
Child: "Oven, microwave, toilet..."
Other Child: "Toilet! Ya, that's a good one!"
And then the family gets completely off track with goofy responses and laughter.It is no wonder that every list included an entry that they were thankful for humor. Other common things that made the lists were our pets and the other members of the family--expect Josh forgot Anna and we had a good laugh about that too as he smirked and then added her. Common references also appeared for our home, clean water, friends, and modes of entertainment/hobbies. There was so much written that gave me joy and warmth. Sweet, sweet responses. Yet, the lists also ended up including an eclectic mix of entries based on each person's viewpoint.
Josh wrote: #31- "that Tigger [our cat] doesn't have rabies" and then #32 "clean floors".
Anna was on a roll with her running list from #77 to #84 with "left leg, right leg, left arm, right arm, left hand, right hand, left foot, right foot" and then somehow added #85 "left food" and #86 "right food". I guess she was hungry. When I reviewed her list I asked about those and she didn't realize she had done that. She laughed out loud and I still recall the big beautiful smile on her face! So she did an edit and drew a picture of the fridge and drew lines to each door. Oh course, now every time I go to the fridge and open the door, I am thinking left food or right food. :)
No surprise that Brian's list included #28 "caffeine" and #29 "chocolate".
My list this year included amongst many, many things #18 "being a seminary graduate" and #100 "the future God has already prepared and will guide me into". Tigger did get a mention on my list as well as he started to throw up in the kitchen in the middle of our family moment. So #27 became "purpose--cleaning up after Tigger". Hmm... come to think of it, maybe this is why Josh added his #31 and #32!What was also fun this year was that we had already had an afternoon of ice skating with friends on the top of the Cosmopolitan Hotel. And then our friend and daughter stopped by right when we were sitting down to do our thankful lists after returning home. I invited them to participate and they were up for it! It turned into a bonus community night as they joined the fun and laughter as well. A great New Years Day all around.
I am really hopeful for 2014. I know it will contain "good, bad and ugly" moments like every year. But starting the year with a feeling of great joy for the blessings I have and what has already happened gives me an expectancy of all that is yet to be unveiled throughout the year...and a steady assurance.
"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:37-39 TNIV
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