by John Mark Brooks
1. I WILL guard my PEACE! It’s PRECIOUS, and special, and I won’t sacrifice it for ANY reason. I will be vigilant in protecting it as though my life depends on it because after all, true life does!
2. I can read a post on social media, that I vehemently disagree with, and scroll past it, protecting my Peace by not expending energy! I WILL ignore it. I will ignore those who try to project their unhappiness onto me. I often times hold the power in silence more than in response.
3. I WILL put my phone down. My mind, spirit, heart and soul appreciate the REST! To be DISCONNECTED is to CONNECT to real INTIMACY— with Jesus and the people who surround me not just the ones on the other end of the screen.
4. I WILL understand friendships are like a CHAIN. . . So, I will link up with colorers— those who challenge me, encourage me and pray for me with my best interests at heart. A chain is ONLY as STRONG as its WEAKEST link!
5. I WILL seek LIFE and let it pour into me— relationships, music, books, movies will be Life-giving!! I can’t pour 💩, trash, into my mind, spirit and heart and wonder why I feel like crap and not more alive!!
6. I WILL know I am to be both water and pour into all, while also being a selective-sponge, learning from everyone I encounter. Whatever God pours into my heart, spirit and mind; I will eagerly-share! Water is fluid, but stays true to its nature and is always life-giving . . . So will I!
7. If I am led to the ocean (person) I WILL cross that ocean even if they won’t cross a mud puddle for me because it pleases my Creator! The blessing is in the doing, not in the payback, so I will go the extra mile for Jesus, even if it’s uncomfortable . . . There can be no LOVE without sacrifice!
8. I WILL NOT become entangled in pointless arguments about politics, religion, world views etc. When you argue with a clown, you only become part of their circus. I will seek common ground and intentionally-listen, to be sympathetic and to learn, not just as means to an end to respond. I will just as intentionally keep my mouth closed or avoid the would-be disagreement altogether. There is much wisdom is listening, hearing and keeping your mouth closed.
9. I WILL not beg ANY person to see my infinite WORTH! No matter the nature of the relationship, if a person doesn’t want to be my friend, or significant other, I will be a gentleman and show them, or myself, the door. I refuse to beg for CRUMBS from those who don’t appreciate me, while I can FEAST at the table of those who do . . . The ones who have been divinely orchestrated to be in my life. Many times we chase the crumbs and miss out on the fellowship the table brings and the feast that’s served! Those Love (The Lord) wants in your life; you don’t have to beg, plead or hope for them to be in your life, part of your world . . . They simply, and intentionally, WILL!
10. I WILL continue my GROWTH. I won’t say a tired cliche like: “I will be better tomorrow than I was today” or “Live every day like it’s your last.” But I will seek the Giver of Life, try to love Him more and fail Him less and extend GRACE to myself (and others) when I do not measure up or when they let me down. We are human. We are messy. We fall and fail.
Each New Year is exciting!! The endless possibilities, the beautiful thoughts of what may come and where the path may lead and the excitement of a clean slate, a FRESH start and blank canvas are gripping. They give us something to lay claim to and to latch onto. My HOPE for you, and anyone reading this, is to realize we don’t have to wait until Jan. 1 every year! We have NEW mercies every morning!!
Having 20/20 vision is this— we are humans. We ALL deserve Love, Kindness, Encouragement, Consideration, Compassion, Validation and Peace and Contentment!
Let’s be BRIDGES instead of WALLS (not a political statement), let’s seek to do what Theodore Roosevelt implored us all to do, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
ANYONE can find DIRT in someone— be the one who finds GOLD (Proverbs 11:27) In the New Year, let’s do that! What’s oft-forgotten is no matter what race, sex, religion, socioeconomic background, age, sexual orientation, geographical location or place in life we are . . . We are ALL in THIS TOGETHER!!
Do GOOD not to be just SEEN doing good, but because goodness matters and it pleases the One, Who is so much better than good! I long for the days of yesteryear when we did things out of the kindness of our hearts and not recording it in hopes of going VIRAL! I miss the times where if someone was getting beaten up, someone jumped in to stop it, not stand idly by and record it in the ultimate act of APATHY!
It’s DISCOURAGING, and I am dismayed by both, but as long as there is TIME, there is POTENTIAL for CHANGE! Like Rumi said, “Treat each DROP like an OCEAN.” If one drop feels like an ocean a world of new POSSIBILITIES emerge and in a world of OPEN minds maybe we can open our minds to the one thing that’s so often-times missing— LOVE!
I wish each of you Peace, Love, Blessings, a closer walk with Thee, Joy and Happiness in the New Year and remember
+Hope Abounds+
