Denied Entry

The last few days of a year, just before the coming New Year, can be a depressing and stress-filled time for some people. This feeling of anxiety comes because compression is taking place. All of the unresolved, unfulfilled and unhealthy things that walked with us throughout the year are now crowding with us at the doorway of 2018. They are waiting to push themselves forward to follow us into the New Year assuming their continued place in our lives.

This morning, I saw an image while in prayer. It looked like a news clip of Black Friday where hundreds of people were camping outside a big box store in preparation to run forward when the store finally opened. I saw our entrance into the New Year become like the main doors of one of those stores. When the store opened, the people broke free from an orderly line and began pushing and shoving each other out of the way to enter the store to get what they wanted.

Each unhealthy relationship, all of the insensitive demands placed on your life and those situations that want to rob you of your peace are all expecting to be granted entrance into the New Year. You have assumed 2018 will be more of the same. These things don’t have to follow you any longer. You have the power of choice. You can change the scenario for the New Year if you have the faith and courage to make some hard decisions.

I would like to suggest something. Turn around and look back at what has followed you throughout the last year. It is time for some things to remain in the past and not move forward with you into the New Year. Some of these things think they own a piece of you. When the clock strikes twelve, they will assume they get to follow you into yet another year. To avoid the stress and confusion of the past, it is time to deny them admission into your future.

The people and situations that are denied entry will begin to pound on the windows of your life in protest. Keep moving forward and don’t look back. The farther you get into the New Year and the more distance you put between you and their demands, the less you will hear their pounding protest. Something beautiful will begin to take place. You will be free to hear the promise of something new inviting you to experience joy and anticipation. Happy New Year is not a casual slogan. It is the promised byproduct of the courageous choices we will make in the last days of 2017.

Happy New Year!