Regroup, Refocus, Revamp

It’s never too late to be what you might have been.  – George Elliot

The new year is a great time to start afresh and give yourself a clean slate. Sometimes promises are not tangible, it’s a long journey of faith, building, and redefinition.

For me, this time of year is very special. My wife and I are expecting the birth of our second child and there’s nothing like having a baby to reset your year and your priorities. Children are not the only thing that can help reset your paradigm; it can be anything, a new job, relationship, etc. It’s the anticipation of new life, new beginnings, and a fresh start.

Going back to expecting a child, labor and pregnancy are great metaphors that change and growth don’t happen all at once but over time. Over the past nine months, I have witnessed my wife’s body change and adapt as our daughter progresses through the developmental milestones. All the anticipation and excitement cannot rush the process. But almost suddenly, there’s a defining moment when what was once inside of you is evident.

It’s new, fragile, requires your time, attention and energy, but it is so worth it. It’s beautiful and brings joy and hope. It puts your priorities in focus and gives a face to the future that seemed so unknown in utero. We get glimpses, technology has come so far, but those sonogram photos are nothing compared to staring into the eyes of your child, seeing the realness of what was once only a good idea.

Something you made, something birthed out of the desire of your heart, something your intentionality determined would be a reality.

How many times do we abort our dreams because we cannot see what they will look like?

We cannot feel them move within us in the early stages, but that is the most vital time of growth. We are required at times to rest, we are required to wait for an appointed time. But that’s hard and goes against what our will and our humanity are trained to do from an early age. Culture, society, the media all tell us in multiple ways that we must make things happen.

If we want a better life, we work to get it. If we have a dream, we strive to achieve it, but knowing the difference between what we must do and what we must allow to germinate and grow in its own time is key.

You cannot fast track the most important things in life by imposing your own timing and plans upon the process. You cannot birth aside from God’s timing and grace. There are stages of rest and response that we must be comfortable with and learn to understand what phase we are in.

So as this new year begins, what are you birthing, what are you creating?

Never rush the process for the sake of convenience because the end results are perfect.

Until next time.