New Year’s resolutions (again)

By REV. DANIEL OVERDORF
Pastor

Okay, a show of hands: Who kept their new year’s resolutions from last year? Not so many, huh?

Let me try again. Who remembers their new year’s resolutions from last year? Perhaps a few more, but still less than we’d hope.

It’s that time again. College football bowl games, black-eyed peas, collard greens, and new year’s resolutions. You’ve heard them, declared them, even posted them on your bathroom mirror: This year I resolve to lose ten pounds. I’ll exercise three times a week. By year’s end I’ll have paid off my student loans. When the plates are passed I’ll give more to the church (had to throw that one in).

Is it worth it? Even though we usually backslide by Valentine’s Day? I think so. We may not keep (nor even remember) all our resolutions; however, the annual act of resolving keeps us mindful of those areas in our lives that need attention and growth. And, if making a resolution leads to any growth, it’s worth the effort.

In hopes of sparking you to make resolutions, I decided to share mine.

In 2004, I resolve to worry less. I’ll admit it — I’m a worrier. I’ll admit, also — my worry stems from pride. I’ll lay awake at night thinking, “I can do it.” I can raise two perfect sons. I can cultivate a perfect marriage. I can make our church grow. I can plan the perfect retirement forty years ahead of time. I can make people change. I can ... I can ... I can ...

God must find me terribly amusing.

God is God and Daniel is Daniel. He’s the Creator; I’m part of creation. He’s the Father; I’m the child. He’s sovereign; I’m severely limited. Therefore, I resolve to worry less.

I also resolve to laugh more. Researchers at the University of Michigan report that the average child laughs one hundred fifty times a day. The average adult? Fifteen times.

Why should the kids have all the fun? Concerns, worries, bills, debts, taxes, conflicts notwithstanding, we need to laugh more.

A ministry in Indianapolis, Smiles Unlimited, sends clowns to nursing homes and hospitals. The ministry is built on this prayer: “Lord, as I stumble through this life, help me to create more laughter than tears, dispense more happiness than gloom, spread more cheer than despair. Never let me become so indifferent that I will fail to see the wonder in the eyes of a child or the twinkle in the eyes of the aged. Never let me forget that my total effort is to cheer people, make them happy and forget at least for a moment all the unpleasant things in their lives. And, Lord, in my final moment, may I hear You whisper, ‘When you made My people smile, you made Me smile.’”

Third, I resolve to live in a world bigger than my calendar.

I borrowed that phrase from Rich Mullins. Rich was a contemporary Christian musician who died in a tragic car accident in the fall of 1997. After his death, a friend found a scrap of paper on which Rich had written his “Goals and Resolutions for 1998.” The last resolution stated, “Chart the movements of the Big Dipper and soak in the sun as much as possible. Live in a world that is bigger than my calendar — more permanent than my feelings, more glorious than my accomplishments (that should be easy).”

Life is bigger than the daily rise and fall of the stock market. More significant than whether or not the shirt I want to wear today is clean. More important than any single task on my daily to-do list.

Regardless what happens day-to-day, I want to enjoy this season of my life. I get to be a husband to an amazing wife, a father to two incredible little boys, a minister with an outstanding church, a son to loving parents, a brother to supportive siblings, and a friend to an incredible corral of comrades.

I want to keep my head and my heart focused on these blessings.

Worry less, laugh more, and live in a world bigger than my calendar. Even if these fall by the wayside by Valentine’s Day, the next six weeks could be the best of my life!

Daniel Overdorf is the Sr. Minister of Fayetteville Christian Church, located at New Hope and Hickory Roads in Fayetteville. He may be heard each Sunday at 10:30 a.m. as a part of the church's weekly worship. Daniel may be contacted at the church office — 770-461-8763, or at fayettevillechristian@juno.com.