Tossing the To-Do List

TOSSING THE TO-DO LIST

Has it already been five years since we launched this decade? Examining the calendar, we find it’s definitely true! Here we are in January 2025 with a whole new year on the horizon. There’s something about those first few days of a new year that compels us to pause long enough to take a deep breath. Our thoughts may drift to the weeks and months ahead of us, perhaps wondering what joys and sorrows lie there waiting to be experienced. We look ahead with expectation to the wonderful events we know are coming this year: weddings, new babies, graduations, travels, and even the books we’ve been waiting to read, or the hobbies we’ve decided to start.

Life has, however, taught us a different rather unpleasant reality. Not everything is wonderful and exciting. Because we live in a broken world, grief and loss are also a part of our everyday experience. All too often, our thoughts travel to the memories and focus on the loss. Sadness can begin to consume our emotions, and loneliness quickly follows on the heels of isolation.

Historically speaking, the new year has been a time when we make resolutions, set new goals, and take that deep breath, giving us the pause between what was and what might still be possible. While realistic goals and strategic plans are a good thing, most of us set ourselves up for failure by listing things that we will never, ever be able to accomplish! Thus, we find ourselves in the middle of the first month of the year having already changed our plan – or perhaps given up on it altogether.

I confess that I am a professional list-maker! It’s how I accomplish things…or fail to accomplish them. It’s how I measure my progress and success … or lack thereof! So the New Year often finds me spending time making lists of all the things I’m hoping to accomplish in the coming year. While this can be greatly inspiring, it’s also discouraging as the weeks and months go by, and the list doesn’t seem to get any shorter!

Then one morning last week I came across something in one of my little daily devotionals (yes, there are many!) that I’d like to share with you:  “You did not come with a To Do list from God!”  Where did we learn this technique of measuring our success? Certainly not from our loving Heavenly Father! He tells us that He loves us simply because we are His children…not because we accomplish everything on our task lists! Not even because we’re really good at keeping our New Year’s Resolutions! What a freeing thought! He loves me just because…

In fact, He tells us that He is the one doing something! Consider this verse in Isaiah:

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” – Isaiah 43:19

 This verse explains itself! As widows we have found ourselves in unexplored, and often unexpected territory. Sometimes it has felt like a wilderness and a wasteland – in other words, a desert where we have no purpose or direction. God is telling us here that He is at work doing a new thing in each of our lives. Our only responsibility is to be looking for it until we see what He is doing!

How do we discover that new purpose and destiny that God is opening before us? One way is to keep our eyes and ears focused on Him. We will never hear His leading or see what He’s doing if we’re not listening and watching for it. In our Refocusing Widows groups, we spend time talking about this process, learning more about our uniqueness, and discovering what’s next on this journey. During this new year, let’s make it our one Resolution to discover the “new thing” that is springing up so that we can say, “Yes, God! I see it!”

As always, your thoughts and comments are welcome here or you can email me at sheryl@freshhope.us. If you’re looking for a new purpose and a pathway to move ahead, please consider joining one of our Refocusing Widows groups, either in person or online. You can register at www.refocusingwidows.org/Groups. We look forward to meeting you!