The beginning of a new year tends to be a time of reflection.  What am I content with in my world?  What do I want to change?  What do I NEED to change?

As we consider these things, I think we tend to regard our choices on changes as needing to be significant ones.  And perhaps significant changes are needed?  After all, none of us truly has our lives totally together.  By all means, we should attempt to address areas that need addressing.  We all have key areas that need some adjusting; we can all become better men and women.

However, with grandiose plans it is all too common to dream big, fall short and eventually fall flat.  Which is discouraging.  So we tell ourselves, “Oh, well, I’ll try again soon, or maybe next year.  I’ll get it done one these times.”

By all means, don’t stop attempting to become a better person!  But perhaps a different approach might be beneficial?  Perhaps being content with the simple victories would be a wiser approach?

Let me explain with an example.  I enjoy metal detecting.  Most people would assume that the best metal detecting finds are under the surface, requiring at least some effort to retrieve. And typically this is true.  The benefit of the metal detector is that it indicates when there is metal below the coil of the detector.  Usually whatever set off the detector is below the surface, and usually the older items (e.g. coins) are indeed deeper in the soil. 

But not always!

A while back I had the opportunity to break away for some much-needed R&R.  I stayed in a rustic yurt in a Washington state park.  In our state, some of our state parks actually allow metal detecting in designated areas.  By design, I was in one of those parks, and I had most of the area around me all to myself!  Furthermore, it was all open to detecting.

In limited time between the heavy rain showers, I found over sixty coins.  I dug up most of them.  But perhaps a third of my finds were simply resting on the surface.  In other words, “surface finds.”  Some of the coins I spotted even before swinging the detector over them.

Surface finds are easy victories.  They don’t take much time or effort to retrieve, but still supply satisfaction and joy. 

Granted, most of the coins I discovered were just pennies, and none of them were terribly old.  But each find was an accomplishment.  And some of the coins, even some lying on the surface, were worth ten pennies (dimes); some worth twenty-five (quarters).

They all went into my recovery pouch … even the ones resting on the surface.  Never did it occur to me to bypass the easy victories!  They all counted!  They were all accomplishments!  And the surface finds were simply retrieved, yet still counted for the same face value as the coins I had to dig up.

Easy victories!  But abundantly satisfying!

Do you have big plans for personal improvements in this new year?  Good for you, and God’s blessings on your efforts!  But don’t overlook the little blessings and the minimal advances.  Any progress is still progress, and is still an accomplishment.  Any accomplishment is worth celebrating.  And multiple little wins can ultimately lead to great ones.

David wrote, “May [the LORD] give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.  May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the LORD grant all your requests” (Psalm 20:4-5).

Or to say it another way, may the Lord give you many simple victories this year!  And may He help us appreciate every single one.