When this epistle reaches your inbox, it should be the day following Boxing Day. We’ll be three days into Christmastide, the Twelve Days of Christmas, and moving toward the marking of the New Year.
Maybe these are days you dedicate wholeheartedly to family, or to stepping away from work or digital media in favor of finding a deeper sense of peace than is usually afforded to you. Maybe this is just another Thursday.
I don’t know how you’re investing this time. I don’t know how you’re preparing for the transition into 2019. I don’t know if you even have a plan. I suppose I don’t, or at least I don’t have a concrete plan. I have some ideas, I guess.
I want to spend less time at my desk.
I want to spend more time with you.
I want to run 2019 miles in 2019.
I want to spend more time on whitewater.
I want to be more attentive to my family.
I want to be more attentive in my prayer.
Are those resolutions? I don’t think so. I’m not great at resolutions. Resolutions tend to backfire on me.
Are they goals? Maybe. Maybe it’s helpful for me to see some theme running through those, though. I think they’re about how I invest time and attention. I think they’re about being less distracted and more intentional. I think they’re about taking time and being thankful, about finding and lifting up joy in all the things I do. I think they’re about prioritizing people, about prioritizing you.
That’s what’s on my mind as we move toward a new year, as we move through Christmastide, a time when we celebrate God-in-Flesh, immanently present, prioritizing time with us. If that helps you shape your approach to a new year, great! If not, I hope God’s Spirit is inspiring you in a way that’s specifically meaningful and transformative to you.
May these days bless you.
Peace,
Brandon
First United Methodist Church of Bristol 