Joy A. Mead

As the first month of the new year finishes, these are the themes that often come to mind with the crossover of ending one year and entering the next: purpose, meaning, and hope. For me, it is not so much looking to the new year as a time for resolutions, but I view it as rather a seasonal call to refocus my soul.

What is my purpose for this season and am I fulfilling it? What brings meaning to my life and am I aware of it frequently? In what can be such a bleak, dark world, where does my hope come from and how can I keep hold of it?

I’ll be honest that January is my least favorite month—it’s cold and often literally freezing, Christmas is over, and the sky is mostly gray. The dark, chilled mornings take my every ounce of willpower to determine getting out of bed, when hiding under the duvet sounds more inviting. Even my children struggle to start the days in winter without a little grumbling. 

And it is this spirit of grumbling and complaining, not just in the children but myself, that has propelled me to think about what I can be thankful for in this season and how can I express it, injecting myself with reminders of God’s never ending hope. 

We need to empower ourselves to remember that we have choices every day—not necessarily with what is thrown our way but the attitudes and perspectives that we decide to hold within our daily scenarios. Each of us has a responsibility to choose wisely with the help of the Holy Spirit. 

On one of the first days back to school after the holidays, my children and I decided to go to our local park for a cycle (a brisk walk for me) around the lake. Each of us had heavy hearts for various reasons—the children didn’t want to be back at school, and I was still grieving my grandma. Despite our feelings, we chose to get out in nature to release some of life’s stresses with fresh air and exercise.

We were halfway around the lake when I suddenly had to stop walking. Right before us was the start of a most beautiful sunset, and it felt like God’s stunning reminder of his magnificent glory being all around us. In that one moment, God grabbed my full attention to reinforce his hope. There are certainly dark days for all of us, yet God, in his goodness, always provides the hope we need to persevere.

As we start February, it is my prayer that we can hold onto the hope that only God can bring amidst physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual darkness. May our eyes be opened each day to find the beauty in our everyday lives—a hug from a family member, snowdrops on a nature walk, a warm, homemade cookie, an unexpected act of kindness.

Purpose. Meaning. Hope.

To live well, we need all of these factors. Our individual purposes will look uniquely different from one person to the next, however we all share a common thread of purpose to know, love, and share God with others. 

In this season, my purpose is to love my husband and children, nurturing and continually creating a space where each member of our family can flourish. It is by far the hardest and most rewarding two callings on my life, and with it all, I am constantly growing and adapting to best serve our family.

My writing and spending time with God give me meaning. In all honesty, my time was minimally spent on both writing and God-time for the last half of 2023, so my awareness has provided the catalyst to be more intentional in carving out time for these things which truly make me come alive. 

My hope comes from God being in my daily life, and the fact that he promises to journey life’s winding path with me, which allows this hope to be grasped. The world around us feels fragile and on the brink of collapse in many ways, however the one and only true God who was faithful to walk and guide so many times throughout the Bible is still being faithful to us today. He is the source of my hope and trying to include him in my daily life, means that hope is being renewed in my heart each day. 

I think there are so many signs of purpose, meaning, and hope which surround us yet, often they go missed by our life distractions and busy schedules. Even the amount of time wasted on phones can rob us of the enrichment of a fulfilled life which God desires us to have. So, what can we do about it? 

Start by waking up with a heart that chooses to have gratitude, even if our weary bodies, minds, and hearts would tell us otherwise. As I tell my children, “Have an attitude to do your best and find at least one thing to be thankful for each day.”

Keep our eyes open to the detailed ways God desires to gain our attention—a stunning rainbow, a glowing sunrise, green flower bulb shoots emerging from the ground, a steaming cup of tea and chat with a friend, hearing the birdsong in the garden, delighting in children’s laughter, a kind smile, a heartwarming song on the radio, enjoying a delicious meal with family. God is found when we act like detectives in our own lives, looking for his clues scattered about in our daily happenings.

Make time for God—in such a fast-paced world, if we neglect intentionality, the minutes and hours pass by so quickly. Read the Word—maybe it won’t be three chapters or even one but filling oneself with even a verse or two gears us up to face our challenges and inevitably, other verses come to mind as we engage with the living God.

Pray to God literally all day long. Small things, big things, in between things—God cares about them all. Simple words shared with heartfelt sincerity delight God’s heart as we approach him. 

I pray blessings over you, my friends this week, as you keep choosing to carry on! Despite the disappointments, challenges, and worries which we all try to needlessly conceal, press on and do not give up. This is your season to choose to believe in the goodness God is preparing right now!

May this be our seasonal call to refocus our souls and allow God to redefine and infuse us with our purpose, meaning, and hope.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13