A few years ago I heard a comment by a friend, during a lesson at church, that has stuck with me. It was near the beginning of a new year and the teacher was talking about resolutions and how most people don't keep them. The teacher's point was that some of our desires for change are unrealistic, that we should make them simpler and focus on a few instead of a lot. My friend spoke up and shared a scripture that her family used to help them create their resolutions. She said that at the first FHE of the new year they would read Luke 2:52 and then use that as their guide to create their resolutions. [ "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." Luke 2:52]. So they focused on intellectual (wisdom), physical (stature), spiritual (favour with God), and social (favour with man).
I had been using those basic categories for goals each new year without realizing that they correlated with a scripture, but since her comment, my resolutions have been more focused on picking one thing in each area and using that as my goal for self improvement.
The last few weeks have offered me the opportunity to reflect on those things that I would most like to make better and it has all come down to the word "service." After talking to my sweetheart about this word that has been whispered to me in quiet moments he wondered what I meant. I wasn't quiet sure, but after a trip to the temple and some scripture study, I came up with the following plan - we will pick a scripture that will be our theme for the year and once a month we will focus a family home evening on that topic. We will also offer a random act of service (as a family) for a neighbor or family member once a month, in secret!
I can prepare a meal for someone who is sick or even realize that the meals I provide my family qualify for feeding the hungry!
I can help those who are sick (again, taking care of my little ones when they are sick or need special comfort definitly counts for administering to the sick).
Cleaning and doing chores without being asked helps to create a place of order! (You might be able to count it as physical growth, depending on what task you may be doing. It would also qualify in the area of social growth).
Sharing with those around us is a nice thing to do and helps us grow socially
So as the new year begins, I hope that the desire to become more physically active by taking a yoga class and running, spend more quality time with the boys, take a photography class, and to read the Book of Mormon (and a few others) will nicely accompany the desire to reach outside of myself and to serve!
So what are some of your goals for the new year?
