by Annie Warner Donnelly
Hello Everyone. When you read this, it will already be a day in January, 2025. What do you think of this new year so far?
I spoke to my friend, Dalton Amell, a few days before writing this column. He and his wife, Carol, live just outside Cornwall, Ontario. They may visit me in May to help me bring a sense of order to my flowerbeds. During our conversation Dalton asked me a question that began, “What if …?”
As we embark on our journey into this new year, it seems like a series of questions that begin, “What if …?” might be a good idea. Maybe this will work better than making resolutions that we have a hard time keeping. Let’s give it a go.
What if I could encourage someone who is discouraged? What if I speak kinder words to the people I live with? What if I could forgive the person who hurt me?
What if I try to get seven to eight hours sleep each night? What if I drink more water and eat whole foods plant-based? What if I exercise fifteen minutes every Monday to Friday?
What if I go back to school to study for the career I really want?
What if I make a donation to an organization that’s doing good things in my community? What if I start to attend events in the community where I live?
What if I believe that God created the heavens and the earth? What if I believe that God hears me when I pray?
What if I believe that the words in the Bible are God’s words to us; that they are God’s words to me? What if I believe the words I read in 1 John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”?
What if I believe that God loves me?
Perhaps you can add your own “What if …?” questions. In the meantime, blessings from my home to yours today and throughout all this new year! Amen.
