New YearHappy New Year!

2015 has begun. Do you have any traditions for ringing in the new year? Do you gather with friends and family? Do you go out or stay in?

I don’t have any grand traditions for New Year’s Eve particularly, but I do have some things I like to do before the ball drops. I pack all of my Christmas decorations away and give the house a thorough cleaning so I start the New Year off with things in order. Granted, it only takes hours with everyone home for the order to be reordered, but at least the year starts off that way.

I also love to buy a new journal. I love having bare pages to be filled in the coming year. There’s something about anticipating what will be written.  What new characters will make an entrance onto the pages of my life? Will the chapters ahead of me be filled with comedy and laughter, or will there be a crisis to overcome?

The more important question to ask is,

Who will hold the pen?”

Who will decide the twists and turns in my story? Will it be me, with my limited knowledge and resources? Or will I allow the Lord to order my steps and direct my path?

You’ve seen those Buzzfeed quizzes on Facebook about things like,

What Actress Would Play You In The Movie Version Of Your Life?”

Do you play those games? Sometimes curiosity causes us to do some crazy things, right. I got Penelope Cruz. Just keeping it real here.

While those quizzes and crazy questions don’t matter, it does matter whose hand we place the pen in with regard to our lives. Who will write the story? For me, I choose Jesus.

Hebrews 12:2 challenges us.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

I trust Jesus to be the author of my story. He’s earned the right. He walked that long walk to Golgotha and endured the cross for me. He gave up His life so I could have the choice [John 3:16] He did the same for you.

I don’t know about you, but in 2015 and every day following that I have on this spinning ball we call home, I’m giving Him the pen.

Will you?