The Never Ending Gifts

I don’t usually make New Year’s resolutions, but I’m excited to dig in and start mine this year.

I’ll admit, though, when I first remembered it was “that time of year,” my soul groaned.

Yes, I should exercise more, drink more water, work on my time management skills. But I know I’ll only keep it up a few weeks at most.

Then my heart lightened as I realized New Years was the perfect time to do my “21 day Connection Challenge” again. This challenge revolutionized my life last fall. Connecting with God on a regular basis lifted my emotions so high I felt transported to another world.

When my daily goal shifted from completing tasks to connecting and communing with God, my perspective and mood improved. Joy and peace surged in and out like waves on the seashore as I connected, got distracted, then connected again with God.

I was well on my way to a more consistent relationship with Jesus.

Then came November.

About mid-month, I went on a nice two week vacation. I returned the day before Thanksgiving, and after that the Christmas rush began. Then I got sick. All these things disrupted my routine and distracted my focus. I poked my head above the fog a few times to grasp at God, but couldn’t manage to maintain a solid connection.

But now a new year begins. A fresh start. I’ve tasted the sweetness of life in God’s arms. I’ve seen that when I’m more fully connected, insights from Bible passages penetrate and heal my heart. And I’ve experienced new levels of closeness in my relationships as a result.

I’m excited to re-use the practical tool that helped me live Matthew 6:33, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

I will start my “Connection Challenge” again on Monday January 6. From then on, my only goal each day will be to connect with Jesus. I’ll only tackle other things—tasks, long term projects, problems that come up—if I can do them with God. I commit to do this for 21 days to form a habit, and hope to continue forever. I want to tap into the stream of abundant life that flows from Jesus. I want to drink the whole glass of his joy and peace.

A friend who’d heard about my “challenge” told me that thinking “All I need to do today is connect with God” really changed her perspective. A couple of other people said they’d like to try this challenge, too. If anyone would like to do this with me, please let me know. I’d love to hear how this works in other’s lives besides mine.