Turning Over a New Leaf?

Well, here we stand on the threshold of a new calendar.  You know what that means?  Resolutions.  Regrets.  It’s almost tax time again.  For virtually all of us, it means it’s time to turn over a new leaf.  What does that mean, anyway?  We all understand it means to start something over or change something from our past.  But the term itself has nothing to do with the leaves that grace our trees from May through October (you can tell I live in the north).  It has to do with books. 

Each piece of paper that is bound together to create the book is called a leaf.  As any printer knows, the “page” is what is printed on one side of the paper, with perhaps another page printed on the reverse side.  What you actually turn are the leaves of the book.  Or calendar.  Or sketch pad.  Or coloring book (for our sensitive millennials). 

You get the idea – by turning a leaf, we get a clean page upon which to write, sketch, draw, and formulate our new direction and attitude.  Many of us take the opportunity to delineate fresh hopes; to outline the behaviors that need modifying; to reallocate our priorities.  We try not to dwell too long on the failures of the past, but to refocus our efforts on the hopes of the future.

It seems we naturally share the thoughts of God as we focus more on what’s ahead than what lies behind.  Paul wrote in his letter to the church at Philippi:

…But one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.   Philippians 3:13-14

Any good preacher could make a whole sermon series from those two verses, but just zero in on the three ideas that are underlined.  This process Paul describes involves forgetting.  While the philosopher George Santayana said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”, I’m going with the Holy Spirit on this one.  Sure, we need to learn from past mistakes, but to move forward – to turn a new leaf – requires that we not keep the book open to our failed past. 

Paul’s second admonition is to reach out for what’s coming.  New days bring new opportunities, new challenges, and new relationships.  There are better days ahead, so seek after them!  If you anticipate only an undesirable future, guess what you’ll find?  See the good stuff that’s out there and go for it.

And finally, when Paul says to “press” toward the goal, it carries with it the idea of never quitting.  Like that fly that keeps pestering you, or the family dog that never can be petted enough.  That should be you as you pursue the honor of living a life that is pleasing to God.

Are you turning over a new leaf?  Are you at least a little excited about what tomorrow holds?  Then you can’t wallow in self-pity over whatever happened yesterday.  You can’t be intimidated by your failure last week.  And you can’t quit moving forward if you ever hope to get where you want to go!  That new leaf you turn has infinite possibilities – it’s a blank page just waiting for you to make something amazing and beautiful.  Happy New Leaf!

Jacob