The New Book of Your Year, with 12 Chapters and 365 Pages, now opens up before you. What will you write and how will your story unfold?
The Year That Has Just Passed may have been great, terrible, or some shade between these two extremes. However, you need to remember that your past does not determine your future - unless you are determined to let it do so.
Ancient Wisdom has declared, “Do not call to mind the former things,or ponder things of the past." (Book of Isaiah 43:18) These words are relevant as we seek to make 2019: A Year of Sharpened Living & New Impact.
Letting go of the past, whether that past was a long time ago, or more recent, is difficult. Memories and images of events, people, their words and actions, have a habit of wrapping themsleves around our ankles like ivy, impeding our attempts to move forward. But growth means pushing on, regardless of the hindrances of the past. To do so requires properly processing the past, but also making a conscious decision to let go and to move on.
The Greek word προκόπτω (prokoptó) can be translated "grow", but its origins are very helpful in thinking about moving forward. In its earliest form it referred to a pioneer cutting his way through brushwood), in order to make progress. In other words, if you are to grow, if you are to move forward and not to be kept back by the past, you have to choose to be intentional about moving forward.
So, you have before you Your New Book of the Year, with 12 Chapters and 365 Pages.
Make your choice to lay down the previous edition.
Open the Book, page by page, day by day.
And write your New Story!