New Year? New You!

Hi, I'm Abigail.  Seventeen.  Christian.  Terribly flawed human.

Okay, that's probably not the best way to begin.  I could tell a rough percentage of how "normal" I am, but that wouldn't be comforting either.  That part's coming later.

So, why are you here?

No, bad question.  Philosophers have been debating that since the dawn of time.  They don't need encouragement to continue the ruthless, endless debate, rather than believe that there's a God in the sky who loves us all dearly.

But that's not my point.  I've barely started this post and I'm already straying.  (I'm sorry, philosophers.  I know you might be out of a job if you admit that God exists, but it would be nice to see one of you discover the true meaning of life every once in a while.) Anyways. Back to my point, which was asking what IS the point of my mind-numbing ramblings? (I apologize.  I really do.)

Regardless of how ridiculous and loquacious this post may be, my point is that I'm ready for a new beginning. 2014 has been a year of learning who I am and what I'm made of.  And failing. A lot.  And making mistakes.  A lot. (Aka, why in my introduction, I described myself as a "terribly flawed human.")

But hey!  We're all terribly flawed!  There's no person on earth who's perfect.  There's the comforting part.

Okay.  So, we're all flawed.  Where do we go from here?

*Cue cheesy banner with the post title in big, colorful letters and a cutesy font*

"New Year, New You."  I find the phrase utterly ridiculous in one sense.  Because, how I interpret this statement at a first glance is that new year "makes" you new.

Wrong.  Wrong.  WRONG.

Starting a new calendar will never "make" you new.  However, it gives you a sense of freshness and, well, newness, and you're at a good place to succeed in growth.

You have the tools.  Are you going to pick them up and use them?

Say you want to fix up a car.  Your dad bought you every wonderful tool you can imagine.  But you never use them.  You make excuses. "I'm tired" or "I'm busy" or even, simply, "I don't want to."  So, the car remains broken.  Tools don't fix the car.  Your hard work does.

It's the same thing with a new year.  Here are your tools.  Here's your chance to start fresh.  Are you going to pick up the tools?  Or will they continue to gather dust, as they do every other year?  Do you want this year to be different?

This year will be different only if you decide it will be.  So, put down the distraction, put down the addiction, and pick up the tools.  Brush off the dust.  Bring about the "new you" yourself, and stop waiting for a day on a calendar to do it for you.

Are you picking up your tools?  I'm picking up mine.  You've been given a chance.  Make it a good year.  Chase relentlessly after the change you want.

Who knows, maybe God will even do something cool along the way.