In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
John 16:33
We are only days from the New Year...from 2012; or what I like to refer to as "The Best Year Ever".
We look at time as this capsulized thing which begins January 1st and ends December 31st. We measure the success and failure of time by how the days and months of each year ebb and flow.
Years, as we define them, receive labels and go on the shelves of our minds like so many scrapbooks. We keep mental pictures and records of the good things that happen, but all too often we define a year not on the good, but on the bad. Tragedy tends to be more defining in our lives than triumphs and often overshadows even the best of days in one's life.
In the last decade our country has defined each of the years by tragedies we have faced:
2009 - was the year of the Great Recession
2005 - was the year of Katrina
2001 - was the year of September 11th
Wars raged, people killed, disease spread....all of these horrific pieces mark our days...our years.
But...
Woven through the tapestry of these years defined by tragedy, babies were born, marriages were begun, discoveries were made, records were broken, songs were sung, books were read, laughter was shared.
Even in the worst of times we are are reminded that we have happiness within our reach. We do not need to be defined by the tragedies of life - we can choose to be defined by the joys - - which undoubtedly out number the woes.
Jesus told us that we would face obstacles - that trouble would find us - but he also encouraged us not to fear the trouble because he would always be with us.
As we approach this new year...we have a choice - will we allow it to be defined by the tragedy and trouble we will surely face, or will we choose to define 2012 as the Best Year Ever....
You decide...
Scripture
Quote of the Day
We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.
~Edith Lovejoy Pierce
Question of the Day
How do you define 2011?
No comments:
Post a Comment