Ons skoppelmaai, trippetrappetone, tiekiedraai die nuwe jaar in ... stadig maar seker kom ons in die ritme van die nuwe jaar met ʼn opregte voorneme om dié jaar ʼn ander ritme te hê of ten minste nie te wals as ʼn tango speel nie. Ons gesels juis hierdie maand oor NUWEJAARSVOORNEMENS en het laas week afgeskop met OPTIMISME en gaan eerskomende Sondag gesels oor COMMITMENT. Dié woord is ʼn taai een om in Afrikaans te vertaal want dit is meer as net verbintenis (wat in Engels promise, alliance is) of verpligting (obligation, liability). Woorde soos toewyding (dedication) en liefdesdiens (devotion) is beide iets wat voortvloei uit commitment.

Kom ons weef ons commitment (dedication & devotion) vir 2015 in die woorde van D. Simone en vleg dit in elke oggend- en aandgebed tot dit deurleefd deel van ons asemhaling word — “May light always surround you; hope kindle and rebound you. May your hurts turn to healing; your heart embrace feeling. May wounds become wisdom; every kindness a prism. May laughter infect you; your passion resurrect you. May goodness inspire your deepest desires. Through all that you reach for, may your arms never tire.”
Aan die begin van die jaar het ons baie wense, drome, ambisie, entoesiasme, en voornemens. Baie beloftes en hoop maar nie een van die goed beteken enige iets sonder commitment nie. Daar is nie ʼn gebrek aan geleenthede om dit te doen, gee, deel nie. Daar is slegs ʼn gebrek aan commitment (dedication & devotion) om dit te laat gebeur en dan met geduld en uithouvermoë dit deur te sien. Ons kan 100x ʼn besluit neem om iets te doen maar voor daar nie commitment is nie gaan niks gebeur nie want besluite word met die brein gemaak terwyl commitment in/uit die hart gebore word. Dit is spiritueel, emosioneel, intellektueel baie dieper as net wense, drome, besluite, beloftes.

Baie mense het ʼn commitment-fobie omdat ons bang is vir mislukking, teleurstelling, en/of gevangenisskap want ons dink die oomblik as daar ʼn commitment gevra word, verloor ons ons vryheid. Dit is maklik om deur die lewe te gaan en jou gedagtes te grendel, jou hart op hok te hou, jou moed altyd moet skraap, en niks te waag nie – uit vrees vir vernedering, verneuk, en verwerping.
Wat het geword van iemand jou ‘woord’ gee? Wie het waar besluit dat commitment vervang word met kontrak? Daar word maklik gepraat oor ‘lojaliteit’ maar wat is lojaliteit sonder commitment — and commitment is a climb up the rocky face of a mountain, hard work, and most people are too selfish or too scared to bother. Sonder commitment het ons geen diepte nie ... nie in ons verhouding, of besigheid, of spiritualiteit nie. In Tyler Edwards se boek, Zombie Church: Breathing Life Back Into the Body of Christ skryf hy, “The problem that we are facing in the church today is that we have so many Christians who have made a decision to believe in Jesus but not a commitment to follow Him. We have people who are planning to, meaning to, trying to, wanting to, going to, we just don't have people who are doing it.” As ons regtig iets glo, sal ons dit LEEF anders glo ons dit nie regtig nie!

Commitment (vir my) begin met ʼn toewyding aan God soos Deuteronomium 6:5 dit beskryf, “Daarom moet jy die Here jou God liefhê met jou hele hart en met jou hele siel en met al jou krag” en Jesus wat dan byvoeg in Markus 12:30, “jy moet jou naaste liefhê soos jouself.” Dan sal ons aan die einde van die jaar die getuienis skryf wat Paulus met die jong Timoteus gedeel het, “Ek het die goeie stryd gestry; ek het die wedloop voleindig; ek het gelowig end-uit volgehou.” (2 Timoteus 4:7)

Ons droom drome, maak beloftes, verwoord wense, het opregte intensies wat alles wonderlik is maar weereens, sonder commitment is daar altyd huiwering, ʼn rede en verskoning, ʼn agterdeur ... en solank as wat ons sinies optimisties is oor ons eie commitment sal ons altyd ander se toewyding en liefdesdiens betwyfel — soos Steve Maraboli dit raakvat, “Stop expecting others to show you love, acceptance, commitment, and respect when you don't even show that to yourself.”
Paulo Coehlo het ʼn roerende gebed geskryf vir 2015 en ons gaan Sondag oor dié gebed gesels --

    “Lord, protect our doubts, because Doubt is a way of praying. It is Doubt that makes us grow because it forces us to look fearlessly at the many  
            answers that exist to one question. And in order for this to be possible…

Lord, protect our decisions, because making Decisions is a way of praying. Give us the courage, after our doubts, to be able to choose between
one road and another. May our YES always be a YES and our NO always be a NO. Once we have chosen our road, may we never look back nor
allow our soul to be eaten away by remorse. And in order for this to be possible…

Lord, protect our actions, because Action is a way of praying. May our daily bread be the result of the very best that we carry within us. May we,
through work and Action, share a little of the love we receive. And in order for this to be possible…

Lord, protect our dreams, because to Dream is a way of praying. Make sure that, regardless of our age or our circumstances, we are capable of
keeping alight in our heart the sacred flame of hope and perseverance. And in order for this to be possible…

Lord, give us enthusiasm, because Enthusiasm is a way of praying. It is what binds us to the Heavens and to Earth, to grown-ups and to children,             it is what tells us that our desires are important and deserve our best efforts. It is Enthusiasm that reaffirms to us that everything is possible, as
            long as we are totally committed to what we are doing. And in order for this to be possible…

Lord, protect us, because Life is the only way we have of making manifest Your miracle. May the earth continue to transform seeds into wheat, 
            may we continue to transmute wheat into bread. And this is only possible if we have Love; therefore, do not leave us in solitude. Always give us
            Your company, and the company of men and women who have doubts, who act and dream and feel enthusiasm, and who live each day as if it     
            were  totally dedicated to Your glory. Amen”

Daar is ʼn oomblik elke dag wat ons onsself in die spieël kyk en vir onsself vra, “Are you committed, or are you not?” Ons begin ons nuwe jaar met ʼn commitment teenoor onsself om uit die hart te sê, ek gaan my passie leef, ek gaan doen wat my hart soos ʼn fakkel laat brand, ek gaan getrou wees aan my Self en daarom vertrou kan word – en dan doen ons iets daaromtrent. Vandag. Nou.

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Gedagte vir die Week:
“INTENT reveals desire; ACTION reveals commitment.” ― Steve Maraboli