The Hope of Potential and Possibilities

 By: Joanne Viola

Christmas and New Year's.

A week apart and this had me wondering ... what can possibly be the connection?

Christmas marks a new life - the coming of the Life which will usher in the New Covenant.

New Year's - the coming of a new year, marked by goals, potential, and possibility of what may be ahead.

We celebrate the birth of Christ which brings us a renewed hope as we turn the page on our calendars and bring in a new year.
  
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NASB)

Jesus + A New Year = Change.

The two days converge on our calendars and in our lives offering hope of change occurring.

Jesus can change our way of thinking and our manner of living.

A clean slate lies before us. The promise of old things passing and new things coming. Our calendars and daytime planners are mostly empty as this new year begins. Each box represents potential and hope for the days which are yet to come.

Advent was a time of preparation – of preparing our hearts to receive the coming of the Messiah to this world.

Perhaps it is also a time of preparing ourselves to leave behind the old mindset and bring renewed hearts and minds into the new year.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10, NASB)

When the routine and mundane begin to press in around us, may we remember He has called us to live anew. May we not lose our sense of hope and expectation which He brought to us during Advent.

Instead, may we remember the gift of the baby in a manger.
The gift of hope and expectation for a new year filled with possibility.

 Photo by Noemí Jiménez on Unsplash