re·a·lign (r-ln)
tr.v. re·a·ligned, re·a·lign·ing, re·a·ligns
1. To put back into proper order or alignment.
2. To make new groupings of or working arrangements between.^[1]

Somewhere along one of the many paths I’ve gone down on my internet travels, I came across an article written by Don Whitney called Ten Questions for the New Year, in which he says:

The beginning of a new year is an ideal time to stop, look up, and get our bearings. To that end, here are some questions to ask prayerfully in the presence of God.

My Dad works with engineers who work on those gigantic oil tankers which do such stunning things that I often can’t help but think deep down that it must just be magic. Their complexities and the sheer size of the jobs they perform^[2] exceed my abilities to understand. But listening to my Dad talk about his work is one of my favourite things to do. His understanding of these huge vessels and their systems is astonishing and, remarkably, it is inspiring.

Having been privy to a great many conversations along such lines has given me, osmotically, an appreciation for the way the movements of the massive often depend utterly on the precision and reliability of the very, very small.

A missing ball bearing or an instrument out of alignment can grind the most immense projects to a halt, at staggering costs. When you think about it, is it any different when it comes to our own hearts, thoughts, lives and the effect they can have on God’s vast plans for us? Are we misaligned with His glorious and loving Spirit? Do we stubbornly insist on grinding away at life with our own rusty ball bearings when God so desires to see us glide in God’s joy?

January is a fresh start… and fresh starts are why God invented mornings and years. He must have known we would need a reset button. Something to get us excited about our lives again when it starts to feel like we’re just treading water. A chance to pull off the road and take advantage of a much needed pit stop. Rotate, recalibrate, realign. I think Whitney’s questions are a good way to get the year off to a beautiful start, so in lieu of resolutions, I’ll be reflecting on one of these questions every day and sharing my answers to them with you here.

I was going to post this last night and do the first question today, but you saw how my computers (both of them, even) were being putzes. And as it turns out, the timing is even better because today I had a three-hour conversation with my Mom that really helped shift something deep inside me – a veil had fallen over my face when I lost my unborn son and it muted my vision of our Lord’s glory and amazing love. I felt I couldn’t get a clear feeling of Him. Prayer and worship felt strained. It was very painful and I was beginning to feel a bit abandoned.

But the flood opened up over me again today and my heart opened like a bud under the sun. My mourning veil has been gently lifted and brushed aside. It’s time to stand up and realign my steps with those on the sand beside me. It’s time to get back on the road to being exactly who God is shaping me to be. We have wonderful, wonderful work to do!

1. From the Free Online Dictionary [↩]
2. If you want to read about what these things do, Wikipedia has an excellent article on FPSOs and how they work. [↩]