Mid-week Message

Greetings!

“Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind.” - Psalm 107: 8, 15, 21, 31

2023 is here! As we look forward to the year ahead, Monica Coleman reminds us (in her newsletter) to also look back and appreciate our accomplishments in the year past.

I’m one of those people who always wants to do more. It’s not just the societal push for productivity – which is a real thing. I have big dreams and big ideas and I want to learn things and go places and write more. And I’m always aware of what I haven’t done.

​So this year, in my annual reflection on the year with my girlfriends, I asked us to think about the past year in a new way. We usually reflect on whether or not we accomplished what we hoped in the previous year. And we think about what we want to do in the upcoming year. And then the goal-setting makes me dizzy.

​Instead I asked about what we did: What was the wisest decision I made? What was the biggest lesson I learned? What was the biggest risk I took? What was the best thing I discovered about myself? What am I most grateful for?

​It was great to reflect on what really big surprising things we did and learned in the last year.

​Maybe we aren’t all goal-setters or resolution-makers or over-achievers. No shame. I just wanted to share with you that I found some freedom in thinking backwards before thinking forwards. And thinking about the past year in terms of what I actually did – not in terms of what I haven’t done. If you are somewhere setting goals and making resolutions and vision boards, I encourage you to take a couple moments to also remember what you’ve done, learned and/or survived this last year. That counts just as much. Maybe more.

Grace and peace,

Rev. Sarina