“The wind is moving but I am standing still
A life of pages waiting to be filled.”
~Michael W. Smith~

“Forget the former things;
Do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
And streams in the wasteland.”
~Isaiah 43:18-19~

Winter solstice is just past; the ancient ticking of Old Man Winter, though just now delving his icy-cold fingers into January, threatens us to withdraw into warm corners, where his winter winds won’t find us shaking in our vulnerable need for shelter.

Winter solstice is the signal where our calendar passes the shortest and darkest day of the year, and we prepare for a type of hunkering down—a stillness of sorts—until the snows melt into spring. Solstice (Latin) is from sol—sun—and sistere—to make stand. Of course, the earth does not physically stop, nor does it change directions. Earth’s relative tilt is what changes as we orbit the sun. Day’s light shifts with earth’s shifting tilt, and our hemisphere can begin marking the lengthening of days. Walking through the portal of the new year, we too ought to take pause and take stock as to what needs to shift in our lives, what path we want to route out as we face the Son of God and His plan for our lives.

The shepherd of our congregation, Mike Majeski, reminded me of these shiftings as we face the new year, highlighting one of my staple verses, above. It exhorts us to Forget the former things and do not dwell. The second half is no less a riveting command:  See! Do you not perceive it?

What? What am I supposed see?

The possibilities. He wants us to see the possibilities for our future:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,
“Plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
Plans to give you hope and a future.”
~Jeremiah 29:11~

Majeski unpacks this like a suitcase for us:  what are we repacking into next year’s suitcase that would be better left behind? How do we embark on a healthy journey and relaunch a new journey into this next year? The following post-it note for the soul includes the list of items he encouraged us to leave behind:  negative self-talk; unrealistic expectations of yourself and others; resentment and grudges; perfectionism and comparisons; blame.

If there has been a setback in a relationship, be intentional in grieving the shift, but be cautious of getting stuck looking at “what used to be.” While it’s important to give honor to the memory of a relationship, as well as to the new shape the relationship has taken, it simply isn’t sustainable to keep rolling hurt and disappointment around in your spirit from days gone by; it is a negative source of energy. It takes time, but it is integral to capture a new picture of the relationship, to reframe it. You want to process the hurt, but you must be careful so as not to repackage it and place it again in your New Year’s suitcase. You don’t want to trip over it every time your memory goes into the storage room of that relationship. This is a biggy that I need to unpack further in my life and leave unpacked:  take time to grieve the shift in a relationship, but don’t dwell on the hurt; rather, trust God for new things. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way…

I am reminded of Michael W. Smith’s song “Place in This World.” We need to take pause, stand still, and feel the wind of Holy Spirit to help us find our place in this world. You can be sure of this, that as you look toward this coming year, believe that:

“You are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
~Ephesians 2:10~

Let your soul’s winter solstice be one of intentionality. Listen to the wind of Holy Spirit as you look to the coming year and how He wants you to fill the pages of your life. Slow down enough to stand still, take pause, and take stock, and then face toward the true Son as He shifts you into a New Thing!

“Do we not sometimes feel, in trial or perplexity,
that others might help us if they would only stop and listen?
But they will not,
and in their constant hurry we know it is little use to speak.
Let us note the lesson for ourselves, and give what we ask,
—leisure to hear, attentive, concentrated, not divided—
calm, patient consideration.
It may be our busy work…for the Master
which so overcrowds our lives
that we have not time for this “standing still.”
~H. Bowman~