yearnings for new year

I’m sitting at my final gate at the Frankfurt airport on this rainy first day of the year - soberly recounting what took place in 2006 and thinking about 2007. Airport smells like plenty of young people partied here. The stench is a combination of stale beer, travelers sleeping on the ground and waste lying around. No New Years' party this year for me - in fact the captain forgot to celebrate. I am glad he was concentrating on flying however, as the turbulence was particularly violent on the transatlantic. Other than that, the three flights back to Geneva are a piece of cake compared to the "Europe to West coast" ones. No jetlag. Nothing. But what a privilege to have been able to be on both East and West coasts in these few days. Indeed what an honor to be able to spend this Christmas season with Andrew and family, my immediate family, cousins, Marion, grandma. I think this has got to be my favorite part of Christmas - spending quality "down time" developing family relations and solid friendships.As 2007 is now upon us without the captain even warning me, this is precisely what I would love to see this year: a greater sense of love for “community”. More of my time invested into select relationships. In essence, more outreach. I achieved just about all of my 2006 resolutions (crazy, eh?), though I’d like my new year 2007 to be less “resolution” or goal focused, and much more focused on developing this intimate relationship; a relationship so close to God’s heart that I will become less and less ingrown and in that, begin to understand God’s calling upon my life and in ministry. Not my own calling for my own life. I know that this yearning is one shared by Andrew too - to learn to “abide in Him” and in doing so, share God’s infinitely deep and wide love to others. In this sense, it will be an exciting time understanding together how best to “love on people” and what community could mean practically. I am so excited about Andrew coming this very week even just to explore questions like these together. Also to simply understand how to be at a place of utter dependency on God and adoration before the Lord.

In this quest, I think this song entitled “Effortless” that Andrew shared with me might even have become my own personal prayer for 2007:

May my praise be effortless

May my song come easily

May my worship be pleasing to You

May my heart be softened Lord

And may my mind, may it be transformed