Almost forgot, 09 it is already by God’s grace.
But here they came, dressed in the newest jogging clothes, walking briskly. Each armed with an LED flashlight, lighting the way, wishing me a Happy New Year.
It happens every year. They’re the first among the crowd keeping their New Year’s Resolutions, of course. Unfortunately, most of them will gradually disappear after a day or two days, a week at most, and forget that Resolution. But it does give one a chance to see the latest in fashion.
How about you? Still making firm resolutions for the new year, then sort of failing to keep them? Just don’t blame yourself, because it is a human failing, to make, then break, stuff like that.
You know what the answer is there, I know you do. You start small, with little things. Don’t try to change a life-style in one fell swoop (Got that in, didn’t I? fell swoop, I mean). No, changes begin little by little. That is, after all, how habits come. Like strands in a rope. One can easily break one or two, but keep adding other strands, and the rope becomes too strong to break.
St. Paul struggles with this, and he writes about it often. Read his works in Romans chapter 7, for example, or other letters where he keeps on encouraging his new members to grow in grace and in knowledge. And growth, strong growth, always takes time.
But I will keep doing what St. Peter said, “always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. I think it right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body.” 2 Peter 1,12.13.
And it is what most us of need, an encourager. That is what Barnabas did best, encourage.
May God bless your efforts to grow.
GPD 1/2/09
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment