The Gift of Reflection

I enjoyed it more than my water purifier that I’ll be using on all future hiking ventures – more than my wireless headphones that might actually get me through some workouts at the gym – more than the many new books I received. Yes, I even value this gift more than the creative and thoughtful homemade cards I was given by our children. So what Christmas present am I raving about? Well that would be the simple gift of reflection.

While I was blessed with gift cards and money and lots of wonderful presents, the best gift was having some time to reflect back on this past year and really, just on life in general. On one of our lazy evenings at home, I spent a few minutes going through our dozens of photos that my wife and I have posted on Instagram & Facebook. You know, for the big distraction it can be, social media is wonderful in this regard, as it is easy to visually see a timeline of the last many weeks and months. As I skimmed through the various pictures I was reminded of different life events and experiences.

I saw snapshots from family vacations, from my brother’s baptism, and from the birth of our youngest. I remembered some of the rich conversations that were shared along the way. I recall both tears and laughter – sometimes happening at the same table. I was able to remember some of the thoughts and feelings of the past few seasons as I attempted to patiently wait on life to play out. And friend, I must tell you again, that this type of mindfulness is a gift.

When you spend each day with your children, it can become difficult to observe their growth. It’s always going on, but it is so gradual. Yet spend a weekend away, or leave town on business for a week, and upon returning you can see it. Better yet, compare pics from last Christmas or even six months ago with the ones you took this Christmas and the maturation and development will be obvious. This is not unique to parents with children; this is so much of our life. We spend so many hours up close to the action that without some time and distance away, we miss the progress being made.

This is a gift from God for individuals, for families, for businesses, and for the church. As I reflect upon this past season, I find much to be encouraged about. For one, I’m waking up weekly and heading into the office to see the same cast of characters. We have maintained the same staff for another year (a bigger accomplishment than one might think), and as an added bonus, I dearly love these people. They make it a joy to serve, especially when ministry is hard and the burden is heavy.

Personally, I will enter another year with the same job title and description. Considering that I‘ve had a handful of other titles in as many years, I would say that this is a good sign. This is easily attributed to the fact that as leadership, we are arriving at a place of greater clarity. We are committed now more than ever to be about relational discipleship and reaching the ends of the earth with the hope of the gospel. But things have only started to crystalize. This has not come easily; and it is for certain that will not be easy moving forward. It has come with much laborious prayer and discussion, but ultimately because God is gracious.

Oh there is so much more I would like to say, but I’ve said enough for now. A few hours of reflection and I’m reminded of the Lord’s mercy and faithfulness to myself, to my family, and to our church. But you must know this gift of mine can be yours as well. It is still in stock, in case you missed it. It can be here quicker than an Amazon Prime order and the price is better than you might think.

However, to enjoy the gift of reflection, you will need some time. You will also need to recognize a couple of significant points. You must be able to rightly and honestly observe both where you are and where you have been. Without these facts before us, we would do no better than daydream of our present and be deceived by the nostalgic sentiments of days past. Friends and loved ones might be able to help you find perspective, as well as some invaluable waypoints for your journey. Take a few moments to contemplate this past year. Ruminate on the events that have made your life what it is and see where the Lord has been active.

To be clear, an honest reflection may be somewhat of a disappointment. Growth might not be so great. In fact you might even realize that you have taken a few steps backward. I’m not proposing that everything is fine and dandy. We may ponder long enough to see all that has transpired, only to wind up miffed – agitated that things have gone down like they have. But if that is real, if that is a fair assessment of our past, I contend that this too is a blessing.

To be able to see that things have not worked up to this point or to notice that things are currently not working… Is this not a gift? Consider if we couldn’t see our error. What if we continued to drift further and further off track? Do we deserve the kindness of having a clear picture of our current status? Of course not! But God is gracious and loving.

2015 was good, but 2016 has the opportunity to be much better. No, we may not make it to the gym any more often than last year. We may close out the year in similar financial debt, but we have chance to be more intentional with our time and energy. We can glean from the wisdom of days gone by and make adjustments moving forward.

Might we take the time to enjoy God’s gift of reflection. May we see how He has providentially worked in our lives, in our families, and through His church. Might we be encouraged and might we chase hard after Him – making much of Jesus with the time we have left. May we be found faithful, and through the power and leadership of the Spirit, might our striving be fruitful.

Where are you now? Where have you been? Where might the Lord lead you next year? May it be ever closer to Him.

Matt Fowler
Associate Pastor of Missions & Students
matt@nbchurch.info
@fattmowler