Renewal

Our family recently returned to Colorado after a ten-day road trip to visit family back in the midwest. It was a beautiful, harried mess of food and presents and family. I am grateful for every moment of the chaos.

Our potty training two year old did great in the car; no sarcasm here, she really did better than we anticipated. On our final day of driving, she fell asleep just as we crossed back into Colorado. My husband and I turned Wheels on the Bus off the radio and we soaked in the quiet for a bit. Midwestern winters are grey, dreary, and so cold you can feel it in your lungs. The past week was no exception. The thermometer on the car barely got above 10 degrees all week. And as we crossed the state line into Colorado, something shifted. It felt other-worldly. The grey clouds broke apart and revealed blue underneath. The sun glowed orange and pink above the tree line. We thought, for a moment, we could even see the outline of the Rockies in the distance.

So feels January. As we move out of the dizzying haze of holiday preparations and parties and expectations, we move into the crisp, clear air and bright, hope-filled sky of the new year.

I hope you took some time to reflect on this past year. On what you accomplished and what challenged you. On who you loved well and who needs to be forgiven. On how you grew and how you are continuing to grow. The seasons offer many opportunities for this kind of reflection. Each new moon presents renewal. Each new season extends to us growth and wisdom.

As I reflect on this past year, I am grateful for yet another chance for renewal. When I lean into the seasons, I see the highs & lows of life’s journey reflected back to me. From the hopeful days of spring to the bleak days of winter, it all belongs. Rather than wishing away the bleakness, perhaps there is peace to be found there, too. Are we not also a part of God’s creation? Life is cyclical, like the seasons. I am finding peace in releasing my expectations and knowing that the bleakness will come. The renewal will come, too.

New Year blessings to you and yours,