New Year, New Routine

The old year has been put away, and with it Christmas decorations, unread books, and old clothes. I have spent my time setting the house in order, ready to begin a new job and start the year feeling organised.

My routine will need to change, but I won’t know exactly how until I’ve started and am more settled at work. I know what I would like to prioritise, but what that practically looks like, I’m not sure. The things I like to prioritise do not change year to year – God, family, creativity, and wellness. They are broad, but they are true. Prioritising them looks different year to year, of course, and they can vary each month as well, depending on other circumstances. But I have already made changes.

In the last week I have set up my sewing machine on my desk, so it is accessible. Normally I would keep it in the cupboard, and set it up whenever I was partway through a project. But I want to make more of an effort with creativity, which means having it ready to use at all times. I am also excited to begin writing and posting regularly on this blog; I have missed it in the last few months!

While starting this new job means I will have a longer commute, the time constraint is motivating in that I want to spend what time I do have at home wisely. Changes, even if they bring difficulties, are sometimes exactly what we need. I think most change includes positives and negatives… at least, from what I can see on the surface-level. Of course God does not view things in such a way, nor are we aware of the whole picture like He is. What may seem to me a negative may be the biggest positive! There is so much I do not know about His ways.

There are details for me to iron out, with this change. But there is so much peace here. God has always lead me by the hand to the next thing, and I know He will be at my new job, too. He has prepared the way. I didn’t know – until very recently – that I would end up here, but He has known all along.

I am excited for this year. In the last six months I have felt a lot of discouragement; different situations only seemed to dishearten me further and I found it hard to get on top of those feelings. But I know nothing is wasted, and when I look back at my life, I see how God has readied me for the next thing. And I can see the beauty in it all.

In the coming months, it is likely I will know tiredness and stress. But I will also know peace and joy. I will know the Lord.

Sarah xx