It’s New Year’s Eve, about 7:30 pm. It’s quiet in the house with just the wife and me. No parties planned, nowhere to go, and it’s highly unlikely we’ll be awake to see midnight. We’ve been busy today baking bread and making a big pot of mashed potatoes for tomorrow’s church potluck. The kitchen has looked like a war zone once or twice today, but most of the carnage has been consigned to the dishwasher. I have a few things to wash before I go to bed. It’s been a good day.

And so, here we are, at the end of one year and the beginning of the next. We’re told we must make ‘resolutions’ for the next year, plans that probably have a shelf life of a couple of months before being completely ignored and forgotten. Although I have some ideas about what I would like to accomplish, I prefer to leave things open-ended and see what happens, because God seems to do amazing things when you’re willing to leave Him some room to work.

In reading and listening to various people talk and write about this past year, the overall tone seems to be one of how terrible things have been. And yes, there have been some distressing events: the war in the Ukraine, the horrible economy, another vigorously disputed election. There have been personal tragedies among people we know and love. Depending on your own circumstances, you may judge this to have been (another) rotten year, or maybe not so bad. It all depends on what you choose to remember.

As I look at this year, I see how tremendously blessed my wife and I have been. Although we live on a fixed income, we have a nice comfortable place to live, food to eat, money to pay the bills. There have been a few bumps in the road health wise but no major disasters. More importantly, we have loving neighbors, friends and family who have reminded us how much they love us. And most important of all, we know that God is always with us, He cares for us, and no matter what happens in this old world that will never change.

It’s a blessing to be a child of God, a part of the body of Christ, and know you have brothers and sisters all over the world. We pray for one another, we care for one another, and we will one day rejoice together at the foot of God’s throne. And so, as we begin once again, I wish all my brothers and sisters in the faith a blessed New Year. We love you all.