December 31, 2019 SHARE: Reading time: one minute (Holiday!) All healing work of Jesus is by grace. It always has been and always will be. What I love about the Lutheran Wellness Wheel is the focus on the healing work of Christ in every aspect of our lives, and the core of it is always grace. The taxing, adrenaline driven activities of recent weeks can leave us exhausted, and considering all that church workers have been through in recent days, January 1 is a lousy time to make health and wellness resolutions that rely on effort, willpower and ironclad constitutions. Why not rely on the tried and true resolution of the past, the ancient past of the Christian community? Why not turn to the grace of God for healing and restoration? Have recent weeks taken a toll on your spiritual life? It’s not unusual to complete a season like Advent or Lent feeling drained. Turn to grace. As you have fed others with God’s means of grace, take some time to receive, to be filled and renewed in the promises of God. Have recent weeks taken a toll on your relationships, particularly your family life? Seek the healing grace of your family by asking for forgiveness, taking an extra afternoon or morning off (or two) and let the love you share as a gift of God restore strained connections. Are you physically drained? Sleep. Rest is a perfect gift of God’s grace. Close your eyes, commend yourself and all of your responsibilities to his loving arms and be refreshed and renewed in the knowledge that while we desperately need sleep and rest, He never slumbers or sleeps. Thank you for your faithful administration of the graces of God. Now enjoy them yourself. Health, joy and peace to you in the gift of the New Year! You’ll be in my prayers every day. Thanks for reading.