Time marches on. This year is already half over! It is hard to imagine but it is so. How did the first half of your year go?
The weather was certainly a challenge from the deep freeze in February to the drought this spring; it put our faith to the test and challenged our attitudes in the midst of it.
Maybe the first half did not go the way you would have liked. Maybe there were some troubles or disappointments or tragedies that you experienced. And maybe it would be best if you would reflect on what was, what is and what is to come.
Did you set some goals or make some decisions about how you wanted 2019 to go? Since the first half of the year is over and we are crossing over into the second half, it is an opportune time to have a reset for the year.
Reset means to “...set again or differently.” There are many things that can be reset: Reset the alarm. Reset a broken bone. Reset the timer. Reset the bareback riggin’ on a rodeo bronc or the bull rope on a rodeo bull. We can reset our priorities. What about a reset on our beliefs... or our choice of friends... or our diet... or financial choices?
The Collins Dictionary suggests that “if you reset a machine or device, you adjust or set it, so that it is ready to work again.” When I think of a reset, Hubby comes to mind. He was a working cowboy for many years, treating sick animals on the range. There were times after he had roped a cow, calf of bull that he would have to reset his rope by moving the horse closer to the animal and getting a shorter hold on it. The longer the rope, the more leverage a cow has on the end of it, which didn’t make for an easy job. After a long day of checking cows in the beautiful rolling hills of the Missouri Coteau, if there was an animal to treat, he would get off his horse and reset his saddle into a better position and then tighten his cinch. It was imperative he reset his rigging especially for his and his horse’s safety.
The month of July is a perfect month to reset (restart, reboot, renew, and reactivate) your life. Reflect, meditate, journal, think about, pray and mull over the direction you are going in life and make the adjustments you need in order to make the last half of the year better than the first. The adjustments we make do not need to be big. Small changes will change the course of your life; just as a ship adjusts its course. We are not able to control people, but we can control ourselves. As we make necessary adjustments, it will affect others around us and will, in most cases, result in a better outcome.
God is the God of second chances. He is always ready to help us start over; to reset or reboot. Lamentations 3:21-23 encourages us, “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
I pray that you are inspired to do a reset for the second half of this year. I pray that you will be motivated, envisioned, determined and purposeful in the days ahead. Finish this year strong.
Be blessed, dear readers. Your best days are ahead!
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
