Happy New Year Everybody!
As cliché as it may seem, I spent a good portion of my day yesterday reflecting on some of the ups and downs of 2008. I usually like to set some goals for myself for the New Year, resolutions if you will, but this year I decided that I will forego setting those goals for myself and focus my efforts on the unchanging resolutions that Christ has already set before us, to love our God and love others. I know that is broad, but there’s nothing that can really be added to or taken away from that idea. Despite that simple yet lofty resolution, I know that I will fall short many times. I will continue to experience drastic highs and lows as have been common the past four months. I will know joy and failure, love and loss. But in the end, I look at the following passage from Ecclesiastes and take comfort in Solomon’s wise words and the fact that whatever 2009 may bring, God makes everything beautiful in its time.
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
A time to be born and a time to die,
A time to plant and a time to uproot,
A time to kill and a time to heal,
A time to tear down and a time to build,
A time to weep and a time to laugh,
A time to mourn and a time to dance,
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
A time to embrace and a time to refrain,
A time to search and a time to give up,
A time to keep and a time to throw away,
A time to tear and a time to mend,
A time to be silent and a time to speak,
A time to love and a time to hate,
A time for war and a time for peace.
Our first kid of the new year is Emmanuel Kwesi, an amazing 12 year old boy. Though reluctant to get attached at first, Kwesi has really opened up in the last few weeks, allowing us to see more of his beautiful smile and kind heart. Please pray that we continue to be able to foster our relationship and that he would feel comfortable enough to get out some of the hurt that he keeps neatly tucked away inside.
As cliché as it may seem, I spent a good portion of my day yesterday reflecting on some of the ups and downs of 2008. I usually like to set some goals for myself for the New Year, resolutions if you will, but this year I decided that I will forego setting those goals for myself and focus my efforts on the unchanging resolutions that Christ has already set before us, to love our God and love others. I know that is broad, but there’s nothing that can really be added to or taken away from that idea. Despite that simple yet lofty resolution, I know that I will fall short many times. I will continue to experience drastic highs and lows as have been common the past four months. I will know joy and failure, love and loss. But in the end, I look at the following passage from Ecclesiastes and take comfort in Solomon’s wise words and the fact that whatever 2009 may bring, God makes everything beautiful in its time.
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
A time to be born and a time to die,
A time to plant and a time to uproot,
A time to kill and a time to heal,
A time to tear down and a time to build,
A time to weep and a time to laugh,
A time to mourn and a time to dance,
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
A time to embrace and a time to refrain,
A time to search and a time to give up,
A time to keep and a time to throw away,
A time to tear and a time to mend,
A time to be silent and a time to speak,
A time to love and a time to hate,
A time for war and a time for peace.
Our first kid of the new year is Emmanuel Kwesi, an amazing 12 year old boy. Though reluctant to get attached at first, Kwesi has really opened up in the last few weeks, allowing us to see more of his beautiful smile and kind heart. Please pray that we continue to be able to foster our relationship and that he would feel comfortable enough to get out some of the hurt that he keeps neatly tucked away inside.
No comments:
Post a Comment