Instead of allowing this year to take from me, I’m going to preemptively give to it. Even today, as the year barely begins to get its feet underneath itself to take off on another sprint toward December, I will give it something it usually does not get from me:
Myself.
I’m determining to not allow the months to race by me, but to cherish moments in ways that I have forgotten. I’m going to give back to the hours and minutes before they are taken from me.
My time. My attention. It is unique and it is mine only to give. To waste it is to pour diamonds down a drain. No one else can give it in the way I can.
Money is easy to come by. Words, even well crafted ones, are common and many. But time, attention and listening: those are rare. One day my ears will be dulled and my time will be gone so this year, I want to give to the year with intention before it steals these things from me.
And you. You have these same things to give. The beauty of the kind of love that is special to you. The style of grace that is only yours to bestow. The hours that you have: you can give these like no other.
So let’s each take the distinctives of who we each are share them boldly and generously with others.
It is time and it is love that are important this year.
It is holding close those that we love. It is being with friends. It is making adventure intentional. It is putting down the things that grab us and running outside with the children. It is loving, it is gracing, it is holding and it is laughing.
It is you.
How will you give yourself to the year? How will you give yourself to others? Have you made any resolutions this January?
Tags: on adventure, on giving
i love… “it is holding close those that we love, it is being with friends, it is making adventure intentional…” those are the things that make us feel alive and yet, they get crowded out so easily. bless you as you give of yourself this year. that is a beautiful resolution!
Thank you Bethany!! =)
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the last picture and the lines “It is holding close those that we love. It is being with friends. It is making adventure intentional. It is putting down the things that grab us and running outside with the children. It is loving, it is gracing, it is holding and it is laughing.”
Once again, Sarah, you have blessed me with your words…well-crafted words *smile* that touch my heart!
Thank you!!
Those pictures are precious, I would give so much to be able to go back and have my ‘daddy’ hold me, he left when I was four and he is 85 now and it just wouldn’t be the same. Your little girls are so blessed I hope you and they know it.
Sarah,
I don’t think I’ve commented before, but I love your blog. Funny, but I think it was my husband (David Kopp) who pointed me here because I was starting my blog and he liked your design. I like it too. He knows me well. I have been subscribing for a while and I just wanted to say how inspired I am by you and your story and your posts. Today’s is just beautiful. Thank you!
Thank you SO much Heather. Yes, I know your husband and am thankful for his advice and help in the past. I was so appreciative of the wisdom he gave me! I’m so glad you commented!
And thank you for the kind words. Happy New Year to you!
I am resolving to give my kids “ownership” of their activities and school work. It will not help if I continue to pick up their goals and activities for them since they are 12 and 15 year old boys. I claim the Word of the Year—thankful as my other resolution.
i love it Cathy!!
Your photos are wonderful. I love how your youngest is missing her top tooth. My 6 year old lost both of her top teeth for her school picture! Adorable!
My resolution is to give my “all” to my husband and children. I am trying to see life for what it really is instead of what I always imagined it would be.
http://irishtripletsrecovery.blogspot.com/
“I am trying to see life for what it really is instead of what I always imagined it would be.”
this.
Like you, I am giving myself to the year. I have a list of 50 Things I Want to do Before my 50th Birthday which I am working on and blogging about. But apart from these things, what I want most is to be intentional with creating time and space for personal contact with those I love, my family and friends. I was off to a good start yesterday, when I stopped doing laundry and cleaning long enough to take a bike ride with my son! Happy New Year.
oh wow! you have a big year ahead of you. i hope you have a whole lot of intentional adventures =)
Love it! I’m all about being intentional this year: with God, with the least of these, with my husband, with our girls, with our friends. Thanks so much for your transparency (once again). I love this post!
thank you grace! =)
Keep goals before me. Keeping Grandkids when they have (there’s two of them) activities. And keep up with the goals you have mentioned because they always help me I love your blog! And you always give us great things re: grace. Thanks!!