Ah, we are coming into a new year. Most people see this as a time for thinking about making their life better. They look back and make resolutions about how they can do things better this year, but sadly most are never kept. I see it as a new day, but I must admit that the number 2020 seems a bit unbelievable. Being born in 1942, the year 2020 seemed almost unattainable. I turn seventy-seven on December 31st, but as a rule, I don’t count the years. The way I feel today, I will live forever. I am healthy, active, happy, and loving every minute of every day. Thirty-some years ago, I would have thought this impossible.
I want to write today about the word Repent. It is commonly thought that repent is only done for something one has done in the past. But it is also something we can do before we commit an act, we would be sorry for. The original Bible was written in Greek and Hebrew, so when I’m looking for a deeper meaning, I look for it there. According to the Greek definition, repent means “to exercise the mind.” So, it means our acts are accompanied by an “exercise of the mind,” or “with understanding.” We need to think about and understand what the consequences of our actions will be. Will it be remorse, if so, think again.
Simply put, repent means to rethink or think again, and this is what most do at the beginning of a new year. I try to do this daily. Every time a thought comes to me from the mortal point of view (POV), I think again. I change to the divine POV, and my whole day changes. Every time fear of something comes into my thought, I change my POV and realize that I can choose to be wise about my choices, instead of reacting out of fear of the consequences. I choose to be wise rather than fearful. (You might want to read my blog, “God’s point of view” post in September 2019.)
Fear is a big ruler in many lives, and a terrible way to live, but we don’t have to live that way. We just need to think again about why we make the decisions we make. It took me a long time to realize this. It wasn’t until I found there was a power out there that would help me make a better decision if I would listen for that inner, still small voice, that comes from God.
Making decisions can be scary, but they are not set in stone, given new information or understanding, you can change your mind at any point.
Our World is experiencing troubling times, and there is much to rethink. Many of us are consumed with fear about the future. I choose not to let the fear of the future destroy my present. I do what I can about world problems, but don’t let them consume me. I live in the NOW. If I take proper care of my NOW, my future will take care of itself. I cannot change the past as it is gone, and the future has not happened yet. I can only take care of NOW. What I do NOW affects my future.
Manufacturers use fear to sell their goods. I find this insulting. We are intelligent human beings, and if given the proper information, we can make good decisions. There is one ad on TV that I find very aggressive in using fear. You may have seen it. They show an older woman lying at the bottom of a stairway suffering from a fall. It’s one of the most visual fear-based ads I have ever seen. It’s not that it isn’t wise to purchase one of their devices, but to sell it that way is awful. I’m sure they could put together an ad directed at our intelligence that would make us want one. It just makes sense, under certain circumstances, for some individuals who spend time alone to have a device, on their person, to get help if needed.
I refuse to watch ads like that. Seeing them once is more than enough, and furthermore, I would not buy their product because of their ad. They are trying to scare senior citizens. Are you getting the picture?
I have 365 opportunities to rethink my days this year. If I’m getting ready to log into work and have concerns about something, I change my POV. I stop seeing it from a fearful or worried POV and rethink my path, ask myself, what is the wisest thing to do? I weigh the pros and cons, listen to my inner voice, as it always shows me the right path.
I need to rethink being loving every day of my life. One day while standing in line to check something out at a store, I noticed an older woman struggling with her packages while trying to deal with a pant leg that kept unfolding and dragging on the floor. While I just stood there watching, another woman bent over and rolled up her pant leg — what a loving thing to do. I will never forget that. It was such a lesson for me.
What had stopped me from helping that woman? It was a fear of being noticed. I had let fear stop me from being loving. That was the story of my life for many years. I would do anything to avoid being noticed. I had to rethink that many times. God wants to be noticed, and as his image and likeness, I need to show forth his qualities, without fear. Look at Jesus; he went forth demonstrating a Godly life without fear because he knew it was the loving thing to do.
So, what am I going to do in this new year? I’m not going to make a list of resolutions that may or may not be kept. I’m only going to make one. I’m going to do the best I can this year to make every decision based on the divine point of view. What would Jesus do under these circumstances?
I saw a book once titled, “Feel the fear and do it anyway.” That title meant so much to me; I never read the book. So, when I think about what Jesus would do, and the fear comes up, I’m going to “Feel the fear and do it anyway.” Fear is only a word, and it can’t hurt you, but living because of it, can.
Go out and make this the best year of your life, that’s what I plan to do.
Happy New Year, everyone…Michele
Out of Darkness, Into the Light 