Wring in the New Year

~ One set of Footprints ~
Kapalua Bay, Maui Hawaii 

(c) @ngie Shaw 2013

2013 has absolutely, positively, without a shadow of a doubt been the most faith-testing,  faith stretching, faith wringing, faith strengthening  year of my life. To say that it's been ''a little messy" would be an understatement.

To say that after crashing into every physically draining pothole on the washboard road of 2013, I emerged stronger, healthier, wiser, & better able to tackle tall-buildings-in-a-single-bound... would be a big.fat. lie.

Here's the truth:

It seriously kicked my butt. 

Tossed me to the curb and left me there, lying in a heap.

Absolute BEAUTY... in the gutter, Front Street, Maui, Hawaii
(c) @ngie Shaw 2013

It kicked my confidence. 

Drained my energy. Wrang the joy right out of the wet washrag of my soggy self. It absolutely caused me to reach up and hold onto dear life to The One who saves me from myself. 

Beauty where you least expect it ~ Front Street, Maui, Hawaii
(c) @ngie Shaw 2013

Ooo. that word... "wrang"... well, chyeah... I bet your' right, that's not really a word. 

WORDSMITH PONDER: So why is "wrang" not a word in dictionary.com.? Seriously. You can wring out a washcloth, but that's present tense. Allow me to take a detour for a sec so I can examine this analogy: Ring, rang, rung... wring, wrang, wrung. Wright? There's "wring" and "wrung"... but no "wrang"? That's just wrong!

I can't help but make a u-turn and go back to revisit that word... washrag. Eeew. What a yukky smelling word. Have you ever smelled a word?? Like, the instant your automated word-identifier in your brain puts those letters together and your subconscious phonics-skills kick in (and the little semi-automatic egg-timer in your head goes *ding*) you. can. smell it... (blech)

**Stay with me here... there is a method to my mad-museness...cross-my-heart!**

My husband would tell you that in my kitchen sink, this is a regular occurrence. But truthfully, this is a regular occurrence, not only in my kitchen, but in my life. Y'see, I have good intentions, but I seldom get to accomplish that which really needs to be accomplished. I start with a sink-full of hot, sudsy, water of intentions and then it sits.... there.... for days. The water gets murky but the washrag reeks! (or is it wreak?) 

((insert big obnoxious grin here!))

Welcome to my world~ that's me... all.the.time.

I have so many things that get started, but never finished. So many things I'd like to do, but never have time. Or never make time to take time. So many soggy dreams, that I've intentionally left "soaking" in the sink of my soul. And they've been left there to marinate for far.too.long...

A good marinate allows for a raw something to be infused with something flavorful... soaking it all in... infusing added flavor. But letting something sit for an extended time to marinate causes almost an acidic, strong, undesirable flavor that has no resemblance to the original intent. 

(I did that once. With chicken... and Italian dressing and eeewwwww... nothin-but-yukky!)

Interestingly enough, the Urban dictionary's defines marinate as: 

1. Letting something soak in, leave time for reflection

2. Thinking deeply about a subject or situation; allowing and idea to "settle in".

*DISCLAIMER: don't go to Urban Dictionary and read the supplemental definitions of marinate... there are some pretty wrank definitions of marinate there that made me blush. and cringe. 

**and just go "Eewwwww!**

So here are the hard cold soggy facts:

1. I am tired of just going from one day to the next, never adding any value to my own passion.

2. I am weak.

3. I am stuck.

4. Doing nothing... stinks.

5. I am ready to move out of this sink-hole of 2013.

6. I am disheartened with the current condition of my marinated dreams.

7. It's time to put the plug back in on my sedentary muse and ask God to breathe fresh breath back into my dreams!

8. It's time to drain the icky smelling remains of what hasn't been and fill it up fresh with new iridescent bubbles of possibility & joy!

9. Every time I look at a sink full of dishes, I will remember that the only way to wring out the smelly dishrag of doubt & release the muse is to just let it spill out!

10. I'm ready to WRING in the New Year!

GOD, I ASK YOU TO WRING ME OUT AND INFUSE MY SOUL WITH JOY as 2014 WRINGS IN! 

And God's promise to me this day:

Romans 8:26

The Message (MSG)

"Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good."