I remember as a kid watching the Christmas specials year after year as if it was the first time I had ever seen them. From the miser brothers to Ralphie, it was like visiting old friends. There was one specific cartoon Christmas show that starred the emphamis baby new year who wore his diaper, a top hat which covered his very large ears. Baby new year ran away because people were making fun of him every time his hat came off. But it wasn't until later in life that i began to see the irony in this new year running away because of his being made fun of and in the end everyone rallying around him to encourage him that we needed him to start the new year. At the time I neglected to see the encouragement as being self serving. After all who wants to get stuck in 2020 for another year?
The reality is that 2020 was what we made of it. Good times, bad times, it all comes back to your response and how you dealt with the challenges and blessings. As a Christ follower, we know that God works all things to the good of those who love Him, but through out our trials and challenges it is easy to forget that. For instance maybe you lost your job and blame 2020 when in reality it was a series of events that stemmed from bad decisions, cut backs or hundreds of other things until it came to pass. These events were undoubtedly rooted in the past, maybe just a few days or weeks but could be as far back as years. The same is true when you think of a new job. It didn't just come about one day, it took someone losing thier job, quitting or retiring or maybe a new position was created, they went through the resume and interviewing process and then you are offered a job. So we credit 2020 as the year of the job blessing. What we need to consider is regardless of a new year, mid year, or anywhere in between, God was still moving people, working the plan so that when the time came you got the job, or in some cases you lost your job. What seems like a crisis at the time will undoubtedly yield new opportunities in the future for those who stick to thier faith and find thier security in Christ.
What I want to tell you on the threshold of this new year is to not use this as an opportunity to classify a year as good or bad solely on the basis of how your life went. Rather it would be prudent to see the timeless hand of God who orchestrates all things together for His glory. That doesn't mean that God caused you to lose your job, but certainly He will provide another and who knows it could just be the best thing you have never asked for. This year as you look into the new year, take a moment and reflect on the past and the consequences they have had on your present status. The future is promising and if you will take on the right attitude you will find thankfulness in the most unusual things. Why not leave a comment for others to see just how God sees us through from year to year? That is how baby new year grows up.
Till next time
P.M.
