Pressing the Reset Button

The new year often feels like a reset button. As the calendar makes a big shift we often feel motivated to make big shifts in our lives. With the rollover from 2018 to 2019 there is a belief that we can leave the pounds, the mistakes, and the bad habits from last year behind us. The new year is rife with promise.

Many of us we embark on making changes in our diets, our consumption of technology, or perhaps starting on a new workout regimen. These shifts, we hope, will provide more health, sanity, and renewal. In many respects, making these changes is a good thing.

But sometimes we forget the glorious words of Lamentations 3:22-23 (above). Despite our shortcomings, our rebellion, and our resistance the love of the Lord for us never ceases. There is nothing that we could do to make Him love us more or love us less. Secondly, we are constantly washed with “new mercies.” There is nothing we can do or not do to garner more mercy. He lavishes it on us because He loves us.

As second semester starts at Restoration many of our staff and students are hoping for a fresh start. For some of our students, the new year is an opportunity to get past the mistakes and poor grades of last semester and to start over. Some of our staff are excited about trying new curriculum or teaching methods. The next 18 weeks are a brand new beginning.

Please pray for a strong start to the new near for our entire learning community. Pray for breakthrough in the classrooms. Pray for more grace, patience, life, and light. But more than anything please pray that our school would drown in the steadfast love of the Lord and that His mercies would wash over us in unprecedented ways. Our hope is that the new year would see Christ’s love and kingdom advance in ways that we could not even imagine.