better than resolutions

You might remember that I had no time to write New Year's resolutions this year. As a result, they've been gathering in my head for weeks, like dustballs in a neglected corner.

Excercise more. Eat less. Read the Bible every day. Pray. Spend more time with school mums. Spend relaxed time daily with my kids. Limit my computer use. Limit my blogging time. Spend relaxed time with my husband. Communicate well with my husband. Have monthly date nights with my husband. Read a book about homemaking. Organise my home. Organise my time. Organise my life. Pray with friends. Keep on top of my spending. Read books, lots of books. Research topics, lots of topics. Give my 2 year old time to dawdle as we walk to school. Memorise bits of the Bible. Memorise bits of the Bible with my kids. Read a book about grace. Work really hard at enjoying grace. Floss.

As you can see, I'm the queen of resolutions. Some I've started, and some I'll probably never start, which is just as well with some of them. But I'd give all these resolutions away, if God would answer for me this one prayer from a woman's diary, written over 150 years ago:

Precious Christ, I come with a large request for 1842: it is that You would be the "Alpha and Omega" of it. Do You not say, "Ask what I shall give you?" Yourself, Lord! You have most blessedly given Yourself to me. But I find sweet liberty to entreat more unfolding, revealing, and opening of Your glorious person, amazing work, and matchless love, than I have yet had; and more losing and treading down of SELF, too--that I may be lost in Your fullness, and forgotten and forsaken in Your soul-absorbing glories.

Oh! raise me higher, draw me nearer, that I may daily die, and You live in me more manifestly. I just give myself to You, to live on You, to live in You, to live for You, more and more than heretofore, and that by the power of the Spirit resting on me. I humbly ask that mine may be a large and still-increasing portion; that, under fresh anointing, You, most lovely Jesus, may be more fully known, more loved, more served; for it is to You the Holy Spirit leads, of You He testifies.

Oh, do make this a large, rich, full year! You being increasingly honoured in me, and I increasingly lost in You, and made an increasing blessing to Your dear people. An Ebenezer for past mercies befits me; large and magnificent have been Your bestowments; bountiful and constant Your favors to me--a poor worthless nothing! "Bless the Lord, O my soul--and all that is within me, bless His holy name!"

Thanks Dianna, who sent this resolution in to this blog on New Year's Day.

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