Nothing like a Fresh Start | GREG MUSSELMAN
To me, the New Year should begin on September 1st. Now that’s a fresh start. Where I live in Alberta, when we welcome the new year, it’s in the dead of winter. At that point, it’s been cold for a while, and spring is still months away. However, in early September, you can see the leaves changing colours. As the temperatures slowly start to get a little cooler. In fact, as I went for my daily bike ride, I didn’t dress accordingly. My legs and hands got very cold! Yet the biggest change occurs in late August and early September. Especially when all the kids are going back to school.
This is a special time of the year. My oldest grandchild, Hank, is starting kindergarten. This is the beginning of something new and quite significant, albeit a little scary for his mom, dad, and grandparents!
As a child, I remember the first day of school after summer break, seeing my friends. How clean the school was, especially the polished gym floor, which only stayed that way for a few days.
The most significant transition going back to school for me was when I left elementary school for junior high school. The school seemed enormous, and there were so many people I didn’t know. Unlike elementary school, we changed rooms for every subject, which was a bit overwhelming.
Then, three years later, it was off to high school, one of the largest in the Vancouver area. There were hundreds of people I didn’t know. Including students from Winslow Junior High, our rival school to Como Lake Junior High, where I attended. I discovered that most of them were okay, but it took a while to adjust. It marked another new season.
After being out of school for 10 years, I felt God’s calling to attend Bible College. While I was excited about this new chapter in my life, I was also overwhelmed. But I believed it would open new doors of opportunity. I had left my career as a TV sportscaster to devote myself to preparing for full-time ministry. At that time, Arlene and I had two very young children. It was a scary and exciting time.
Throughout my adult years, September still signifies the start of something new. In broadcasting, it’s the beginning of the new season of programs. On YESTV, we introduce new shows. At 100 Huntley Street, we unveil new themes, initiatives, and ideas for the upcoming broadcast year. Churches and organizations roll out their new programs in September, marking the start of new opportunities and excitement.
This is a good time of the year to reflect on past accomplishments and successes. In the face of disappointments and failures, we seek the Lord’s guidance to learn and progress. I love what the Apostle Paul says…
“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 3:13-14
I’ve had my fair share of disappointments over the last year, but there were also some victories. Especially in my heart, character, family. Along with the amazing ministries I get to serve in at Crossroads and The Voice of the Martyrs. Often, it’s through those disappointments that we learn the most. Let’s enter this new season with the expectation that God is going to do great things in our lives, families, and this nation!
