L. (3) was happily playing with Legos yesterday morning. He received a Lego fire station set for Christmas and has spent a good portion of the last week creating everything but a fire station with it. In fact, whenever I’ve attempted to help him turn the pile of Legos into the item pictured on the box, I’ve been immediately reprimanded and told I’m doing it wrong.

Confession: This drives me a bit crazy. I’m of the belief that one should follow the rules, especially when it comes to building cool Lego sets. But clearly, my second-born child disagrees with that belief.

Anyway, as I watched, L. picked up his Legos and started walking toward the kitchen in a dazed, out-of-it kind of way, staring up somewhere around the level of the upper cupboards. He wandered past the breakfast table, around the edge of the counter, and across the kitchen. It was almost as if an invisible string were pulling him along.

Just as I figured out what he was looking at and being drawn inexorably toward (the new calendar on the wall), he started jumping up and down — literally — with joy.

“It’s January! Hooray! January! Hooray! January! Hooray! It’s January!! Hooray!!!”

Chad and I cracked up. Here was a three-year-old who recognized that there was a new calendar on the wall, who figured out that the big “J-word” on it was “January,” and who was now overwhelmed with excitement at the fact that a new year had arrived.

Even after the jumping stopped, L. had a huge smile on his face and was, without a doubt, overjoyed.

Confession #2: I knew why he was so excited.

We have some fun things planned in the month of January, and L. has known about them for several weeks. Ever since somewhere around December 12th, he’s been asking me, “Is it January yet?” and “Why is December going on for so long?” So today, when he realized that finally, finally December was over and January had arrived, he simply couldn’t contain his glee.

I loved seeing L. so excited — what mom doesn’t enjoy seeing her child incredibly happy?

But the whole situation also made me think about the ways we, as adults, face a new year.

Some people are so glad when January arrives because the previous year was miserable, or difficult, or painful, or stressful…and they are thrilled to see it finally go away. Eager for a fresh start, they welcome January with open arms.

Others are excited to see January on the calendar because the new year holds promise — a new baby scheduled to arrive, a long-anticipated trip, the completion of a project or realization of a dream.

Some are indifferent, seeing nothing to celebrate or enjoy about a new year…just more of the same of what the last year held.

Some look wistfully back at the just-passed year, not quite ready to let it go.

As for me, I often approach a new year with some mixed feelings.

January, in general, is not my favorite month. Where we live, the weather is usually bleak — gray, cold, dreary…no sun for days or weeks at a time. I don’t like it and don’t particularly look forward to it. The holidays infuse excitement and fun and variety into December, while January often feels….blah.

On the other hand, I appreciate the promise of a new calendar year. There’s always a feeling of new beginnings, new opportunities…a sense of anticipation for what the new year will hold.

And this year, I’m struck hard with the comforting thought that regardless of what this year holds — January bleakness? Exciting new opportunities? Heartache? Joy? — that God already knows, and that He is ever working to accomplish His purposes.

See, I’m often tempted to have “many plans” in my heart. As with L.’s Lego fire station, I have very clear ideas on how I think things should go and how they should work out. But, of course, I am limited in my perspective, lacking in wisdom, and often selfish in motivation. So my many plans? Let’s just say that I’m thankful they don’t always come to pass!

But with the reminder that God holds the year 2010, and knowing that He is good and loving and in control, I can look at the coming year with excitement. Maybe I won’t jump up and down in the kitchen, but I can echo L.’s sentiment: “It’s January! Hooray!”