Just yesterday, we began a new year. We toasted our glasses, smooched our sweeties, watched a giant sphere of sparkles descend in Times Square. Maybe we even sang “Auld Lang Syne” as an old year made its exit and a new one began. There are 365 blank squares on the calendar swooped in with 365 brand new days, waiting to be filled. There’s something even more enticing about that kind of fresh start than the clean white pages of a new notebook or a new box of crayons in September.
Something in us craves a new beginning, a chance to make wrongs right. The promise of a clean slate is thrilling and stirs up a part of our soul. We pin so many hopes and dreams on the start of a new year, don’t we? We set resolutions, create goals, hope to start new habits, break old ones, and declare, “This will be the year of (insert your word here)!”
So much hope, pinned to a blank slate.
It’s a lot of pressure for one ordinary month. By about January 13th, so many of our hopes have been dashed, and our hearts along with them. We miss a day of working out and feel guilty. We eat something off our “cheat list” and feel guilty. We spend money off-budget and feel guilty. The new leaves we’d hoped to turn are stickier than expected, and we guiltily settle back into what’s comfortable, disappointed again in our failed new year.
So much guilt, piled on lofty hopes and big dreams.
Here’s the thing: we don’t have to wait for a new year (or even a new notebook) to turn a new leaf, break a bad habit, and make a few goals. We can start this morning, right now, this second.
The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease.
Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning. (Lamentations 3:22-23)
Each day begins white as snow. Each day gives us a do-over. Each and every day starts with fresh mercy and new grace.
Guilt doesn’t have to enter the picture.
There’s no big party to welcome a new day, no sparkly orb or bands playing or confetti tossed. New days dawn quietly, simply rolling in unannounced. Mercy is fresh and still covered in dew while grace smiles soft in the background of the sunrise. If we’re too loud, we might miss it: the whispered invitation to a faithful love.
So much goodness, provided in our every day.
He offers. We accept. And so goes the dance of a new day, a new year, a new start. Of fresh mercy, of guiltless dreams, of the good God of both.
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Jessica says
Beautiful words, they touch my heart.
Corena Hall says
Anna
Your words describing the new mercies of God every morning reminded me of this song below. My creative soul hears God in His creation and in lyrics to a song.
Here it is,
“Morning has broken, like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for the springing fresh from the world
Sweet the rain’s new fall, sunlit from heaven
Like the first dewfall, on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness where his feet pass
Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one light, Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God’s re-creation of the new day.”
Happy New year and God bless
Kathy Foster says
Thank you so much for the New Day Inspiration! Needed this new perspective in my life today.
Blessings!
Bev @ Walking Well With God says
Anna,
I really don’t know how I’d survive if I was not a believer and could claim the promise of Lamentations?? I don’t know if my hopes for a new year and successful change would even make it past mid-January before they’d be dashed. Oh what a great God we serve who does not condemn us when we fall, but lovingly lifts us to our feet and coaches us to keep taking steps forward in His grace. Praise that His mercies are new each and every morning. THIS gives me hope to start a new year. Knowing in my own strength I will certainly fail, but in His strength and mercy ALL things are possible. Beautiful post to start our new year Anna…here’s to a blank slate!
Blessings,
Bev xx
Kathy Cheek says
God’s mercies never cease and are new every morning because He is a God of unending mercy…24/7 365 days a year! We are the benefactors of amazing grace and mercy going into this new year and it is all because of the great love God has for us.
Enjoyed your post so much!
Michele Morin says
New mercies every morning!
Great is His faithfulness!
Angela says
Thank you for this! Each day is a new opportunity full of God’s mercies and grace.
Debi Gable says
This article has truly touched my heart. I’ve never been one for making New Year’s resolutions. BUT, I’d like to start a new goal…to make a commitment to at least 1 thing & see it through. My goal is to get closer to the Lord, through praying & reading His Word (& memorizing portions of it), & that I can trust in God to keep His promises and see me through. In addition to this goal I pray that God will help me to give love & mercy to my husband, who has rapidly progressing dementia. If anyone reads this & feels led, I could really use your prayers. Oh, also I plan to buy a new fresh clean notebook to start off the year. I’ve never thought to do this before, but I really like the idea. Thank you.
Beth Williams says
Debi,
Sweet sister! I am praying for you and your husband. Both my parents had/have really bad dementia. I’ve see the entire realm. It is so sad to watch loved ones go like that. May God give you strength and stamina to endure. I pray for more good days. God is with you always.
P.S.- As the caregiver, seek help if you can. Think about home health or hospice-if needed. We got hospice for my mom and it helped my 84 yr old dad out greatly!
Prayers and blessings 🙂
Melissa Henderson says
I am very thankful that God’s mercies are new each day. 🙂
Mary McCauley says
Great is God’s faithfulness. Thanks for sharing these encouraging words
Theresa says
Such a wonderful thought that keeps me going on those days where I just want to stop. Reminding myself that tomorrow is a fresh new day, a new start, a blank slate is so helpful. It helps me give grace and mercy to both myself and those around me.
Sandy says
Hi Debi,
Praying for you and your husband as you go through the challenges of dementia. I experienced this with my dad several years ago, so I somewhat understand your situation. Each person experiences dementia in their own way. May Jesus wrap His arms around you, so that you may feel His love and grace, extending that towards your husband, in your new found strength.
Peace and hope, be with you, Sandy
Beth Williams says
Anna,
I thank God for His fresh mercies and new grace daily! This world is getting more and more like Sodom and Gomorrah. Each year I sort of make resolutions, but get sidetracked easily. Life gets hard sometimes & I am grateful that God is near & ready to pick us up when we fall or fail!
Blessings 🙂