New Year, New Opportunities ---- Faith in the Public Square

This past Monday we entered a new year that is pregnant with new opportunities and possibilities. As we exchange one calendar for another, we get to start things fresh. The past lies behind us, while the future beckons us forward. This fresh start is both liberating and frightening. It's liberating because we're not bound by the past. Whatever happened yesterday has no real bearing on my tomorrow - yes, I know that's a bit simplistic, but I think you get my point. A new year can be frightening because we can't predict or control the future.

Although I'm by nature a cautious person, my faith in God emboldens me to embrace the adventure that a new year brings. And so, I guess anticipation rather than anxiety is my chosen emotion for this transition.
It's common practice to make resolutions at the beginning of a new year. We resolve to eat less, exercise more, spend more time with the family, or maybe learn a new trade. Before January is over, we've likely abandoned most of our resolutions. We abandon them because they require more of us than we're ready and willing to put out. That's human nature, I suppose, and besides, the comfort of past certainties is often more comfortable than the risks of the future's uncertainties.

Still, life must be lived now and in the future, rather than in the past. It's out there in front of us that we'll encounter our hope and our joy. If we approach the future with a sense of anticipation rather than anxiety, we will be able to help shape that future rather than simply being shaped by the future. There's something to the idea that if we expect bad things to happen, our “prophecy” will get fulfilled. Now, if history is any predictor of the future, there'll be wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes and hurricanes, but that doesn't mean we can't join together in creating a future that's full of hope and purpose. We know that technology continues to improve our lives, but there's more to life than comfort and convenience. (For the rest of the article in the Lompoc Record, click here).

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