As the old year draws to a close and 2013 comes ever closer I’d like to share some wonderful words from Joyce Rupp;
“The old year runs away from me. I hang onto her sleeve but she shakes me loose. Where does the old year go when the new year comes? She slips away into… memories, falls into the crevices of wishes and ought-to-have-dones. She waits no longer upon promises, turns her back on might have-beens. The elves of the old year step in, pack up the struggles, store the joys, tuck them away in the bulging box spreading out on the psyche’s floor.
It’s up to the new year now. I bring a lot to her domain; expectations, dreams, hopes…and I place them all before her strong, abundant door. I walk into her untamed territory, with a meek apprehension and a vast sense of mystery, assured by the welcome I receive, yet anxious about what is waiting behind the drawn window shade, curious about what I will discover in the hidden folds of her new days.”
This past month has personally been tough for me as I’ve said good-bye to three old friends who live now only in memory but I thank God for these memories and for these friends. Lord knows what the new year will bring but I trust that no matter what joys or sorrows I might encounter, I will face them in the company of blessed friends and a God who will never let me go. Happy new year to you all!
Pastor Andy