I’ve never been a big fan of New Year’s.  I don’t know why exactly, but it’s always made me a little sad.  Even when I was much younger, I was never big on celebrating the death of one year and the birth of another.

But one thing is for certain-a new year symbolizes a fresh start.  Right?  I wonder though, if you’re anything like me.  Do you also walk through the doors of a “fresh start” by dragging along a garbage bag full of old stuff?  Perhaps your bag isn’t filled to the brim like mine is…

I say ‘stuff,’ but what I’m really referring to consists of insecurities, disappointments, comparison, fear of the unknown, unanswered prayers, hurt feelings, misunderstandings, and questions.  Lots of questions.

If I were to set them down and leave the bag out in the cold, what would happen?  “But Lord,” I say.  “If I don’t take them with me, then so much is left unresolved.”  (It’s not in my nature to leave anything unfinished.)

And I feel His spirit speak to mine.  I am the resolution.

Yes.  Yes, you are Lord.  I forget that sometimes.

When I think of the word ‘resolution,’ I think of other words such as answer…problem solver…completion.  Pretty descriptive of our great God too, aren’t they?

Because He is the answer.  He is the solution.  He does complete every good work He starts.

It sounds like simple truth.  Far from it though, if we stop and think about who He really is.  And if we aren’t sure just who we’re talking to, we can ask Him to show us.  He is faithful to do that too.

My friends, I would love to jump over that threshold with arms in the air, palms spread wide and holding onto nothing.

Let’s do that, shall we?  What if we let go of the stuff and just entrusted all of it-yes all of it into the capable hands of our Father?  What if we left the Hefty sack at the curb and walked into 2016 unafraid…surrendered…free…

Freedom is the point.  Freedom is always the point.  The stuff weighs us down and makes us tired.

Enough with the stuff, I say.

Happy New Year.