"Resolved...I Think!" by Krissie Inserra
It's the new year and now is the time that people are desperately
trying to keep the resolutions they made less than two weeks ago. Most
have failed. Which is precisely why I resolved last year to not make
any more resolutions. It's the only one I've kept so far.
However,
about a week ago while driving around town, I decided to make a "goal I
really really really need to keep" (See? That's a lot less pressure
than a "resolution"). For almost my entire life, or at least as long
as I can remember, I have loved french fries. I mean, I absolutely
adore them. I didn't want to expose Tommy to them until it was
absolutely necessary for fear that he would inherit this same unhealthy
desire. And when I did finally allow him to have fries, I would only
give him half the package and hide the other half, saying that was all
he got. Then I would secretly eat them (I still do this). I told you
this is an unhealthy desire! Not only am I eating junk, but I'm lying
too! So last week, I decided that for the rest of my pregnancy I
shouldn't eat french fries. It's bad for me, it's bad for my baby, and
surely I can survive until the end of May without french fries! And
what the heck, if I can survive til May, why not just finish out the
year?!?
That night I gave into peer pressure and ate a small
pack of Wendy's fries dipped in a small frosty. Chocolate covered
sin. Okay, not really.
But the first thought on my mind was
"Man, I totally blew that one! I made it, what, 6 hours?!? I
apparently have no willpower and am doomed to fail anything I set out
to do!" After I thought about it some more, though, I realized that
tomorrow's another day and I can try again. One day at a time.
The
point of this story is not about healthy living, or goals, or even if
Wendy's fries are the best choice to ruin your goals on (they're not,
McDonald's are way better. Sorry Marty!). The point is that I have to
resolve in my heart
every single day
to glorify God to the best of my ability. I've already screwed that up
today. But I need to do it again tomorrow. I think that the reason I
don't like to make resolutions is because I'm afraid of failure. But
God knows that I will fail. He sent Christ because I have failed. And
I will continue to do so. But that doesn't make it any less important
for me to continue to try. Not because I'm trying to earn God's love
and affection. I already have that. It's all I can do to
respond appropriately to that love and affection that He has lavished on me in spite of my failure
