Someone dear to me chose to pass on her tradition of sending a Christmas family picture and letter last year. Challenging circumstances had pummeled her heart raw, discouraging her from documenting the previous year. Christmas letters aren’t the place to process grief. 

Like her, perhaps you turned the calendar to 2023 hoping for a fresh start. If you need some “new mercy” lenses to look through this year, I hope this might be a small nugget of encouragement for your worn and weary soul today.

In my college track days, I had a coach named Bart. He had two favorite principles of running that he often repeated to our team, ESPECIALLY when we grew tired in our training and racing.

1. Look straight ahead
2. With each stride forward, think about PUSHING the track behind you

The apostle Paul agrees with coach Bart.
“Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14

Even if you have work to do in processing some of what’s behind you, don’t get stuck there. Continue to press on, friend. Push the past year behind you and press forward. In dependence upon the Lord, press on to the good that God has prepared for you.

(Photo credit: Jakob Owens, Unsplash)