be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him” — [psalm 37:7a]
the last week of the year
christmas is a time of remembrance.
christmas fills our days with our favorite movies, nostalgic treats, thoughts of cherished loved ones, and stories from the old days, all swiftly swirling around an ancient story of a baby born in bethlehem on a silent night.
yet while the christmas lights still glow from rooftops, the calendar marches on to the 26th, then the 27th, then the 28th until we find ourselves shifting gears, moving in a new direction at a different pace.
the familiar sounds and surroundings of christmas past give way to the uncertain blurriness of future.
the last week of the year, these precious days nestled between past and future, are strikingly present, and allow us a rare opportunity to breathe in the air that is no longer the old year, but not quite yet the new.
these days bring new hope and blessings, but also brings a fair share of change and disillusionment; our news feeds filling up with heated opinions of politics, religion, culture, and every debate imaginable.
we may spend so much of our precious time on things that ultimately aren’t all that important.
we may argue until we lose focus and are spread thin.
we may become frazzled, angry, ineffective and discouraged.
we may go to bed at night realizing that we are missing out on the things that matter and waking up in the morning overwhelmed before we even start the day.
the good news, the beautiful news, is that as the lights and decorations come down and the world continues on at a new pace, the same promise of hope we spoke of at christmas remains bright and promising. God is unchanging.
the last week of the year gives us a moment to prepare for what is coming. these last few days where christmas starts to become a memory can become an opportunity to pray, plan, and prepare.
this week gives us an opportunity to set new habits, and entrust all of ourselves to our father in heaven.
it is a fresh chance to, “be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him” (psalm 37:7).
it is a clear opportunity to “be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; you are not to turn aside to the right hand or the left” (deuteronomy 5:32).
Jesus, whose birth we celebrate, is alive, at work, and His love for you is deeper than you could ever possibly imagine. He will never, ever leave you or forsake you [deuteronomy 31:6-8].
certainly, there is nothing magical about the flip of the calendar, but it represents a clean break, a new hope, and a blank canvas.
this last week of the year, may our hearts and minds be filled with wisdom instead of rashness, patience instead of impulse, and forgiveness instead of bitterness. may we take this moment to reset and devote our hearts fully to Jesus as we walk into whatever awaits us in 2025.
~ jason soroski