I am the Queen of Resolutions. The Guru of Good Intentions. The Diva of Declarations. The Premier of Promises ... You get the idea.I'm a big, big fan of New Year's resolutions. Every January 1st, I
make them. Every January 2nd, I break them. Tradition is important.Exactly eleven years ago, January 2nd, 1997, I had an epiphany. If Lamentations 3:21-23 really is true--if God's mercies really are new every morning, and His faithfulness really is great--every day (every moment!) has all the promise and potential of a New Year's Day. Failure is cause for repentance (and repentance means changing direction), but it's not cause for inevitable despair.
This New Year's Eve, like all the others, I wrote a long and stubbornly hopeful list of Things I'd Like to Work On. But at the top I put my most important resolution: Every Day Shall Be New Year's Day. Thanks be to God, that's a promise I can keep.
Here are the words to the song I wrote eleven years ago, the night I had my epiphany. It still applies to me, so I thought I'd share it with you.
Happy New Year!
Carolyn
I buy a lot of diaries
Fill them full of good intentions
Each and every New Year's Eve
I make myself a list
All the things I'm gonna change
Until January 2nd
So this time I'm making one promise
This will be my resolution
Every day is New Year's Day
This will be my resolution
Every day is New Year's Day
I believe it's possible
I believe in new beginnings
'Cause I believe in Christmas Day
And Easter morning too
And I'm convinced it's doable
'Cause I believe in second chances
Just the way that I believe in you
This will be my resolution
Every day is New Year's Day
This could start a revolution
Every day is...
One more chance to start all over
One more chance to change and grow
One more chance to grab a hold of grace
And never let it go
This will be my resolution
Every day is New Year's Day
This could start a revolution
Every day is New Year's Day
© 1997 running arends music/New Spring Publishing, a division of Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc. (ASCAP)
2 comments:
Did "not eating brownies for breakfast" make it to the list again?
;-)
That song rocks! And I always appreciate (and need) the reminder of its message.
Happy, happy 2008 to my favorite Canadian Author Who is Christian!
Ah, I love your songs and writings - just wish I could hear the music to this one.
I too am an inveterate resolution maker. Here is my experience in a ditty I wrote some years ago:
January, February
It's January, all must change
my resolutions cry it!
I'll clean the cupboards, shine the glass
completely change my diet.
The constant list of things I need
has changed from Christmas treats
to organizers, storage boxes
and a set of sheets.
It's February, nothing's changed
the bathroom scales decry it
(that frozen stash of Christmas treats
has sabotaged my diet).
The hopeful list of things I pledged
discreetly tucked away --
ten months to do just as I please
until next New Year's Day!
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