A Gracious New Year by Katherine Doyle

G od's

R edeeming

A ccepting

C aring

E mbrace

The New Year brings with it a chance to look back on the previous year and reflect on what was good and what we wished we had done differently. This reflection then prods us to think about what changes we want to make in our lives and to set out NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS! And New Years resolutions then can often give us the opportunity to experience the feelings of yet again not following through for 365 days.

This year I propose that instead of (or at least in addition to) making vast promises to lose weight, exercise more, spend time with family etc, we all make the resolution to accept and to give out grace each day. To accept God's grace is to fully understand and appreciate that we cannot earn God's love and we cannot lose God's love?it is a gift; grace is a gift to each of us from God and a gift that we can give to one another.

Accepting God's grace means accepting that although we will fail-at resolutions, at always being kind, at always loving our neighbor as ourselves, God loves us no less and we have the opportunity to get it right next time. But I think we have to take that one step further and say by fully accepting God's grace, we have to also fully accept that others might not always follow through, always be kind, and always love us as they want to be loved. Accepting God's grace means to give others another chance to continue to love regardless of what we get back.

A friend recently sent me a letter spelling out how she saw graceful living

Less judgemental; more loving
Less selfish; more generous
Less isolate; more compassionate
Less strict; more tolerant
Less angry; more forgiving.

We will each live these out in different ways. Several years ago I was slicing cake; as a mother of 4, getting them all even was very important. This particular day, one was clearly larger than the others. My third child was the first into the kitchen, with a great smile he snatched up the largest piece, turned and began to move towards the table. As he passed his sister, he paused, looked at the cake and then at her. "Here you have this one." he said. Thats grace - unexpected, undeserved given in love for another.

If we can all strive to live out these principles in our own lives each day then perhaps when we close with 'the Grace' "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore" (2 Corinthians 13.14) it really will be with us all evermore and through us to the rest of our community and the world.