Bu Dr. Walter Boston, Jr.

A New Year is filled with right decisions and choices!

To this, King David says, &uot;He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name sake.&uot;

Overwhelmingly, this is a time when many folks are making preparations for the New Year.

Verbal commitments will be at soaring highs.

Recently, while working with a very inquiring group of leaders, they asked me my plans for 2006.

I replied, &uot;Getting on with life-His plans; hopefully my obedience.&uot;

Not long afterwards, while reading my morning meditation, I found an intriguing short story told by Howard Hendricks, of a best friend who he lost at the age of eighty six years old.

He described her as being the most exciting lay teacher he’d ever been exposed to.

He goes on to share that last he was in her company was at a Christian gathering.

&uot;We where sitting there on eggshells, looking pious, when she walked in and said, ‘Well Hendricks, I haven’t seen you for a long time.

What are the five best books you’ve read in the past year?’

Hendricks says she had a way of changing a group’s dynamics.

Her philosophy was, let’s not bore each other with each other; let’s get into a discussion and if we can’t find anything to discuss, let’s get into an argument.

She was eighty-three on her last trip to the Holy Land.

She went there with a group of NFL football players.

One of my most vivid memories of her says Hendricks,

is seeing her out front yelling back to them, &uot;Come on men, get with it!&uot;

She died in her sleep at her daughter’s home in Dallas, said Hendricks.

Her daughter told me that just before she died, she had written out her goals for the next ten years.

Friend, I have to ask you, what about your commitments?

Do you plan to get on with it?

Will you do integral assessments of your spiritual, professional and personal stewardship last year?

Will you pursue life, and goals a day at a time?

Will you make necessary adjustments?

Earthly life is very short in comparison to eternity, and time is too precious to be preoccupied with senseless failure and blame.

I echo the advice of Hendricks’s friend; decide what you will do and get on with it!

I particularly like the way Portia Nelson frames our lives in five short paragraphs.

1. I walk down the street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I fall in.

I am lost.

I am helpless.

It isn’t my fault.

It takes forever to find a way out.

2. I walk down the street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I pretend I don’t see it.

I fall in.

I can’t believe I’m in the same place, but it isn’t my fault.

It still takes a long time to get out.

3. I walk down the street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I see it is there. I still fall in.

It’s a habit. My eyes are open.

I know where I am.

It is my fault.

I get out immediately.

4. I walk down the street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I walk around it.

5. I walk down a different street.

May the LORD grant you abundant wisdom, opportunity and desire to achieve all you can in the next 365 days, and beyond, to please Him!

Thank you Father for strength and grace for this precious one; to walk in You, fully pleasing, in Jesus Name…Amen!