EDMOND — I’m glad that 2010 is finally here. Not that 2009 was all that bad, I just like having a fresh start. While I realize that Jan. 1 is really no different from Dec. 31, the idea of a new beginning is exciting.
I have a list of things that I would like to accomplish in 2010, and being realistic, I know that I will not achieve all of the goals I have set. Among the familiar resolutions are weight loss, eating right, exercise and, of course, for me, keeping my office clean is a constant challenge. However, the most exciting part of a new year is forgiving myself for all of the things that I did, and did not do, in 2009.
One of the big sins in my life in the last year is poor stewardship of time. I get distracted by the “emergencies” in my life and allow those to control my schedule. In counseling other people in my work, I find that I am not alone in this malady. Perhaps a new start will allow me to begin to address this deficiency.
I have talked my resolutions over with some friends that I trust to hold me accountable. Accountability has always helped me to achieve the goals I have set for myself. One friend remarked that, in the end, we are all trying to build our character and learn to be better people. I remember the definition of character that my dad always told me — character is how you behave when no one is looking. I like that definition and have tried to live it out in my life, hopefully with more success than failure.
The truth is that most of us try to live a moral life. Even if we are as solitary as Thoreau at Walden, we feel that someone is watching us, whether that person is God or our conscience. Crooks and thieves do what they do because in their heads, they feel that no one is watching, apart from the police or anyone nearby.
Here is the good news for us — we have a fresh start, right now. What you choose to do with it is up to you. Let’s take the opportunity to start out the right way by doing the right thing — because who knows who may be watching!
CHRIS SHOROW is senior pastor at the First Christian Church of Edmond. He may be reached at cshorow@fccedmond.org.
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Chris Shorow: Time for a fresh start
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