Drop It Like It’s Hot

A new year a new you, right? Out with the old, in with the new. Drop it like it’s hot. Wait...what? Drop it like it’s hot? Yah you know, like dropping those pounds, dropping those friends, dropping that stress. Seems like a good idea when first thought of but I’d like to offer an alternative perspective.

Every time we say, “See ya, 2017! This year sucked,” essentially we are saying that the year God blessed us with wasn't good enough. Sure, each year can come with some pretty terrible moments but isn’t being able to breathe a blessing? Or have food on the table? Or a hot shower?  Sometimes we need to refocus our thoughts from the past and find the positive moments that did exist.

Or how ‘bout every time we say, “Gonna lose those pounds.” Sure getting healthier is great but sometimes we downgrade ourselves so much that we forget we are more than a number. We are more than a pants size. Instead we should refocus and say, “Because I am worthy, I’d like to lose a few pounds so I can be healthier.”

And lastly, the most dreaded phrase of all. “It’s time to drop that friend.”  Okay now wait, hold on a sec. Yes, some people are Negative Nelly, Sad Sammy or Toxic Tina but this phrase is going around A LOT lately! The honest truth is that most people in our lives aren’t this way. Maybe instead we should say,”BEFORE I drop ‘so and so’,  I’m gonna muster up enough courage to discuss with them my feelings. Sometimes we are so afraid of confrontation that we are willing to give up a friendship . Please don’t think I’m saying you can never get rid of people that are hurting you. You can! But evaluate your choices. Imagine what the future would look like without that person in your life. If the answer is that you may miss them, how about giving them a second or third chance. On the other hand, if your answer involves words like peaceful, stressless, tearless then yes, maybe it’s time to drop that friend.

Some of you know that I listen to audiobooks while I work around the house. Lately I’ve been listening to Anne of Avonlea by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Highly recommend it, by the way. There's one part in the book that I just love and needed to hear. Anne is speaking about regret with Mrs. Allan, a woman somewhat older than herself with just a hair more wisdom that Anne. When Anne opens up about regretting a past mistake, Mrs. Allan shares this tidbit of wisdom.

“We should regret our mistakes and learn from them 

but never carry them forward into the future with us.”

As we enter 2018, I beg of you to consider a new type of resolution. Resolve in your heart and mind to be kind to yourself and others. We are all imperfect creatures made perfect by the blood of Jesus. We don’t deserve all this love, grace and mercy He bestows upon us. But because He thinks we are worthy, we should give ourselves (and others) the same love, grace and mercy that He gives us.

Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Ephesians 4:32