Normally I like to make my New Year's Resolutions something that I can measure, or tick off a list, or point to and say "I did that." But this year, I'm going to try and change it up.
The one resolution I really want to make, I have no idea how to go about doing. If I were going to put Weight Loss down this year, I'd know how to do it. I'd get a gym membership, and vow to go three times a week. Then I'd start tracking my food intake. I'd set goals and track my progress by a scale or my pant size.
If my resolution were to learn how to cook, I'd actually watch My Chef make dinner, or actually open one of the gazillion cook books on our shelves. I'd try and make mistakes until I got the "atta girl" after dinner. At the end of the year I'd be able to host a party without asking Troy to make all of the dishes. I could point to my items and say with pride "yes, I made that."
But no. I just want to do one little tiny thing. I want to follow one commandment in the bible. I wish it was on my heart to pick the one about obeying your parents. That'd be easy. The only thing My Mudda asks me to do is kiss the girls before bed. Check and check. Or the one about not committing murder. New Year's Eve 2012 I could pat myself on the back and say "Yep. Made it the whole year without killing anybody."
Nope. The one I'm going to pick is Love One Another. Sounds simple, right? But how do you really start? How do you measure if you've gone about your day with a heart of love towards those in your path? I'm not sure being nice and saying hello to the grocery clerk is showing love, but maybe it is? Maybe that person needed to be asked how her day was. There's no measurement, no "reward" or visible ramification of loving others. (If just now you're thinking about STD's then you're thinking the wrong kind of love and we should have a serious talk.)
I'd love to hear your thoughts on how you'd start if this was your resolution. How you'd measure if you were keeping your resolution. But remember, the commandment isn't to just love your family, or your friends, or people who look and talk like you. How would you do it?
And just because I'll need something to point to and say "I DID IT!" I am going to aim at having Maggie potty trained by May. I know that's more of a group effort and based on the willingness of my sweet little Bear Cub, but the process won't start until Momma's ready. So in 2012 this Momma wants to quit buying diapers.
Ok, 5 days in...let's get this year rollin'.
I think love one another is actually one of the hardest commandments in the Bible, thought I think the hardest is actually Love the Lord your God with all your heart, (which is not one of the ten commandments actually but comes after)...because it seems to me it is really the ONLY commandment in the Bible that is truly important...because if you CAN follow that one commandment (Love the Lord with all your heart) then you by default WILL follow all the others...because if you love Him, you will do as He says, which IS love one another, honor your parents, do not kill, do not commit adultery, do not steal etc, etc, etc. That is what I strive for (and fail at so miserably again and again!). Good luck with your goal...but you ARE a truly caring person and already love so well so you are a leg up!
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