I’ve been spending a fair amount of time this week reflecting, and thinking about what my goals are for this year. I’m amazed at how quickly this week has flown by, and no matter how many times I’m told “Time only flies quicker the older you get.”, I still think the end of each year will take me by surprise. That said, as I mentioned in my 2017 roundup, despite time disappearing at the blink of an eye, I’ve generally managed to fit an awful lot into a year.
As I’m writing this, I’m sort of in a state of disbelief that 2017 is already over? Where has the time gone?
Having a birthday at the end of the year is pretty handy, as I’m able to look back on everything the year has held, sort of since my last birthday. One of my other favourite things to do at this time of year is to create a collage of events and achievements of this year, and when compiling the list, I’m always astounded at how much I manage to pack into a year! (I’ve hidden some names to keep their privacy – but you can get the picture!)
Here are a couple of my reflections about 2017 – as I’m looking into 2018, I want to learn from this year, but also appreciate all the opportunities I’ve had.
Let’s set the scene.
It’s dark. It’s cold. The sky is clear, and you can see the stars above you, but as a result, the air is crisp and fresh.
You’re standing on a hillside, huddling closer around a fire with your colleagues, in an attempt to keep warm. Sort of picture penguins grouping together, and how they rotate who is on the outside. Just this time, the people on the outside are looking outwards, watching out over the hillside.
Wow, life is busy at the moment. It feels like a real challenge to even find time to stop and write this, but I’ve set myself a challenge, and I’m determined to complete it. Today marks the start of a really busy week, more so than normal in the lead up to Christmas. I’m out every night, there’s more than one thing happening each day, and it just feels extremely full-on.
Now, I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who’s got calendars or diaries that look vaguely similar to the description above; part of me thinks that’s just part of Christmas. However, I’m not sure that’s healthy, especially for a prolonged period of time.
In my mind, Christmas is definitely a time for singing. I mean, I will happily sing all year round, but there is something special about singing at Christmas. Maybe because the traditions of carols go far back, or because no matter what genre of music is your favourite, you’ll still know the words to all the Christmas ‘classics’, and no one minds belting them out.
I think the tag line of today’s post could be:
“I want to put CHRIST back into Christmas”
And that goes beyond just myself, but ultimately, for the world to recognise the truth of Christmas.
In the run up to Christmas, it can be very easy to keep focused solely on our own lives, and get caught up in a personal whirlwind. While this can be expected: it’s one of the busiest times of the year, perhaps today you’d like to stop for a little while, and think about something a little different.
