Honestly I have a hard time sticking with New Year's resolutions. I do okay for the first month or two, but then the excitement and resolve tapers off and I'm back to where I started. So I asked God what two things He wanted me to work on this year. He spoke to my heart about compassion and courage. I struggle with always being compassionate towards others (especially people I am around all the time). I begin to be judgmental and critical in my attitudes. God is helping me get victory over this by making me aware of when it first creeps in. I also struggle with fear of change. Worrying tends to occupy my thoughts. God is changing me in this area too and teaching me to trust Him with the unknowns of life. He is proving to me that even though my circumstances change, He doesn't. He remains faithful. I need courage to face what He's prepared for me next. He's already testing me. I have some opportunities that I have been praying for, for a long time, that God is moving into place. He's opening doors that until this time have been shut. I am content to be wherever He wants me and in the next few weeks I may be faced with some difficult decisions. But, throughout the process I am experiencing a peace that only He can give. So instead of a list of resolutions that I would probably not carry through on, I am starting this year with just two words- compassion and courage.
