Angie Land

Did you see the Facebook video going around with the preschool age little boy coming down a slide? As he started down, he somehow got off-center and his head hit the side of the slide. This triggered a chain reaction that threw his head to hit the other side and back and forth all the way down the slide. He was rubbing the side of his head by the time he got to the bottom. Someone had placed a caption above that said, “This is How My Year Went.”

Not one for sharing these kinds of things, I couldn’t resist. Because I can look back and realize I did a few rounds with that slide this past year too.

I realize that we all have those days. Some are inevitable. This was one tough year for our family in so many ways that we couldn’t control. However, I am pretty sure that a few of those trips down that slide were of my own doing. Completely avoidable. How about you?

So in the upcoming year, I want to try and do a few things differently. No. 1 on my list, is to slow down and be more intentional. I am asking God to help me fill my minutes with purpose instead of just projects to mark off my to-do list. Our culture insists on barraging us with more opportunities and information than we can possibly process on a given day, causing it to become more difficult to remember what our priorities are. Can we achieve success in 47 different areas of life? No, but we were created to be successful in those few things God calls us to.

But let’s throw in a word of caution here: when being successful becomes the priority, our journey gets off-center, and the head banging starts. Jesus says that our relationship with God is to be the priority. “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you,” (Matthew 6:33). I am asking God to direct my journey down that slide to be when and how He has purposed for me, not just at the whim of my own desires. Then the results are His.

My second priority for 2018 is joy. I was often so overwhelmed in 2017 that I often forgot to be thankful or to really appreciate those who bring such blessings to my life. Along with slowing down, this will require being intentional. I so wish our default as humans wasn’t to complain or be critical first. Often we go there without even realizing we made the trip. But boy, is it hard to leave once we arrive. Just the other day, a friend and I spent more than 30 minutes lamenting all the thing going wrong in our holiday plans. What a waste of time — mine and hers. It changed nothing and surely did not lift either of our spirits! Going down a slide is supposed to be fun, remember? So I am asking God to help me be more intentional about letting joy be my atmosphere in 2018.

Finally, I came across a passage recently that I memorized several years ago. I was struck afresh at the power of these words. I am asking God for these words to be true for me, for my family and friends and for each of you in the coming year:

That according to the riches of his glory, he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirt in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith-that you being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God,” Ephesians 3:16-19.

May we all come to know more of His love in 2018…because every heart matters!

Blessings! Angie

Heart Matters is a weekly column written by Angie Land, Director of the Family Life Ministries of the Lafayette Baptist Association, where she teaches bible studies, leads marriage and family conferences and offers biblical counseling to individuals, couples and families. Contact Angie with questions or comments at angieland3@windstream.net