They say old habits are hard to break. That may well be true in some cases, but not all. It’s been a solid week since I last posted on my blog, despite having developed (up until now) a regular habit of posting daily. There are, of course, good excuses such as a blizzard and the resulting crazy 1200+ mile drive last weekend, and an inspirational week spent learning dynamic communication skills at the amazing WinShape Retreat Center in Rome, Georgia. But excuses aside, I failed to follow through with commitments and now stand needing and wanting to restart.
I’ve tried to write this “fresh start” post for the past several days but have gotten bogged down in the guilt and shame of letting myself down. But commitment and perseverance are more about the future than they are the past, and so I now forge ahead with hope and optimism.
Surely we all experience frustration and disappointment when we fail to follow through on our resolutions and newly established habits. The easy thing to do is to simply throw up our hands in despair exclaiming, “what’s the point?!” But the right thing to do is to admit the mistake and buckle down once again, re-energized and ready to try again. Whether it’s a diet, exercise regimen, business practice or even recovery from an addiction, defeat and detours don’t have to spell “THE END”. Rather they can provide an opportunity to reflect, refocus and regroup to begin again. Regardless of the demons in your head that claim “all has been lost”, a restart can actually be powerful in establishing an even stronger habit and commitment. You’ve had the chance to experience failure and know that isn’t somewhere you want to return.
Having spent one week away from blogging, and having experienced some amazing conversations and growth during that week away, I come back reenergized and refocused. “What’s the general theme of your writing?” I was asked last week, but couldn’t immediately come up with an answer. I thought about my passion for social justice, adoption, biblical truth, and encouragement. I considered what energizes me and what I love to write about. What common thread weaves itself amongst all of those topics? And then I realized what it was. The common thread became obvious, and as soon as I identified it, I wondered how I had missed it.
Hope.
Hope is the theme of all I do, speak and write about. Hope inspires and encourages. Hope is the look on the face of an orphan when she fully experiences love in her forever family. Hope is the driving force behind studying scripture. Hope is what inspires me to speak and share. Hope.
Hope found solely in the grace and love of Jesus. It is hope.
And so as I begin moving forward again, I do so with greater clarity and vision. The disappointment, frustration and sense of failure gives way to the realization that I can begin again with greater commitment. And even more importantly, I have a newfound focus, now understanding my general theme.
So if you’ve missed reading my daily posts over the past week, welcome back! I can’t wait to share some new ideas with you as we move forward into the realm of hope!
