I’ve never been a great one for New Year’s resolutions, but if I was, this seems a much better time for them than January. The long summer days have provided space for refreshment and new perspectives and September now feels like a return to ‘normal’ work but also a new beginning…a new opportunity. So, without quite intending to, I seem to have come up with some new (school) year resolutions.
1. To pray (more). Not a new resolution! But one weekend in Suffolk a longstanding friend shared her own struggle to spend time listening to God and introduced me to a great daily prayer app. Twelve minutes…usually while eating breakfast…probably not every day.
2. To host more dinner parties. I think shared meals are important, maybe even more so in these times of uncertainty and division. I love bringing friends together. But I’m not good at the necessary planning – so this is a bit of self-motivation.
3. To avoid saying and acting as though everything is fine, even when it isn’t. Over the summer I was leant a book on one of the many systems of personality types and this is one example of their suggested exercises for my ‘type’. They are challenging. But challenges help us grow.
To be honest, these feel rather insignificant in the face of our current political turmoil. I can only pray that they are small steps towards loving God, neighbour and self.
So, a question – what has challenged or inspired you this summer? And what might that mean for you this new term?
Susannah Woodd
