
The new year dawned with such promise—a brand new start, a freshly wiped slate, a shared pursuit, a renewed commitment to prioritizing what most nourishes my soul.
Life, rarely tidy or convenient, though, has a way of unraveling even the best-laid plans. Case in point, the pics below. For the third January in a row, I found myself in the hospital, watching my carefully cultivated rhythms come to a screeching halt.
My shiny new resolve quickly succumbed to a virulent illness, and critical care was promptly initiated. I am home and recovering now, but on the heels of such a purposeful beginning, it felt like a quintessential case of two steps forward, three steps back.
It bore all the hallmarks of a bonafide setback—progress halted, enthusiasm dimmed, plans on hold.
Simultaneously, though, was an unrelenting pull to a life of significance—the kind of life that counts for something—the kind that impacts time and eternity.
As I pondered the contrasting tension between unwelcome setbacks and unwavering callings, St. Benedict’s words came to mind with a galvanizing force: “Always we begin again.”
Yes!
We simply begin again.
Peace accompanies the reminder that beginnings are not limited to pristine calendars or perfect conditions. Beginnings meet us in the middle of broken plans, interrupted dreams, and unexpected detours. They are God’s grace on display, promising to redeem the setbacks and restore what was lost in the process.
If you, too, have seen hopes dashed or plans frustrated already this year, I invite you to join me in the sacred act of beginning again. What a privilege is ours to be allowed to do so. What a gift is ours to understand that even when the journey is attended by setbacks, the destination is guaranteed.
We are not behind, beloved; we are simply on a different path than we anticipated when we began. And that’s okay. Sometimes, the most beautiful discoveries imaginable are made on roads less traveled.
So, we don’t quit. We don’t give up. We don’t throw in the towel. We surrender, both to the process, and to the One who promises daily beginnings. Why? Simply put, to be His people. To make a difference. To fulfill the purposes for which we were created. To not to waste our lives or forfeit our callings.
And if the comeback breaks down? We’ll start over again, and lay our setbacks at the feet of Christ. The one thing we will never do is quit.
The walk begins anew today.
“And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten…And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you.”
~ 𝐉𝐨𝐞𝐥 𝟐:𝟐𝟓,𝟐𝟔