Stepping from Old to New

We’ve just taken the first step into a new year. I am more mindful of change this time around. My sons are growing into young men. I watch with pride as they mature. There is knowledge I can try to share with them about these next steps in their lives, but unless knowledge is accompanied by wisdom it might not illuminate their paths well.

I can say the same thing about myself in the next steps in my life. I can gather as much information as possible but still I need wisdom. So I turn to an ages-old spiritual practice—examination of conscience. It is actually a good thing to do each night, but I want to look at my year. I have modified one that I learned when I was involved in the Walk to Emmaus. Maybe some of these questions can help you as well:

• ·      Have my thoughts and actions been full of grace?
• ·      How did I face problems that arose—

o   Did I try to power my way through them on my own?

o   Did I seek wise guidance?

o   Did I learn from those problems?

• ·      Did I stay close to the means of grace God has given us?
• ·      Did I reach out in service to others?
• ·      Where did I find joy?

Somehow in the action of typing these questions out, I find a bit more peace than I felt before. When things loom as an indistinct mass, they can feel threatening. When I can parse them out a bit, I can get a sense of perspective. God does not ask me to take on the whole world, past, present and future. God asks this moment of me.

Proverbs 2.6:

For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.