A Resolution of Grace for 2015 by Vannetta Chapman
I love all the talk about New Year’s resolutions. So often, we address this subject like a visit to the dentist (no offense to you dentists out there). But what if we had a different attitude? What if we looked at the new year—and resolutions—as a chance to start on a clean slate?
In my story, A Promise for Miriam, Gabe would understand new beginnings and resolutions very well. Following the death of his wife, he buys land in Wisconsin—hoping for a new beginning and a more peaceful life. When he arrives, he finds the farm he bought is dilapidated, the fields unkempt, and the community too friendly. It’s NOT the new start he had envisioned.
That’s happened to me before on resolutions. Often when I write something down in my journal, it makes perfect sense. But then when I attempt to follow through, things don’t work out like I had planned at all. Over the years, I’ve learned that instead of trashing my resolution, sometimes I need to adjust it a bit. After all, a resolution is an intention. It’s something that we’re dedicating ourselves to doing. Changing the plan doesn’t mean we’ve failed—it means we’ve understood what we need to do to succeed.
Gabe does succeed in his new community, but first God has to grow him spiritually and emotionally. Gabe is forced to become an active part of the community that he would rather have remained anonymous in. Through the troubles that come, he finds himself in relationships that he would have avoided. And as he faces his darkest hour, he finds himself crying out to God for mercy and grace.
Most of us can understand those things. Life is hard sometimes. It can be heartbreaking. And during my darkest hour, I’ve found myself crying out to God for mercy and grace.
What will this year contain? I can’t possibly know. God knows. He’s all-knowing, and there isn’t a thing that is going to happen in 2015 that will surprise Him. I can rest easy in that knowledge. And I can go through the days of January and beyond boldly, because I am certain, without a doubt, that I will be cloaked in His mercy and grace.
Remember that is true for you, as well.
Happy New Year!
Vannetta Chapman has published more than 100 articles in Christian family magazines. She discovered her love for the Amish while researching her grandfather’s birthplace in Albion, Pennsylvania. Vannetta is a multi-award-winning member of Romance Writers of America. She was a teacher for 15 years and currently resides in the Texas Hill country. Her first two inspirational novels—A Simple Amish Christmas and Falling to Pieces—were Christian Book Distributors bestsellers.
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Happy New year to you also Vannetta. Your book sounds great. I’ll place it on my TBRL and hope to read it in the future. I just finished The Christmas quilt. Loved it. Have murder Tightly Knit on hold at the digital library. Loved Hidden and did a review for it.
God Bless you in 2015 . May you stick to your New Years resolutions and have a very successful year in your writing career.
Shirley
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Vannetta Chapman Reply:
January 9th, 2015 at 8:27 am
Thanks for reading and reviewing, Shirley. And I pray that you have a wonderful, blessed 2015.
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