So, it’s a brand-new year. What is the year is going to bring to us? Do we know what the new year will bring? Not me, that’s for sure. I don’t know for sure, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say, “not you, either.” Certainly not all the pundits that come on TV and seem to know everything in predicting the future. And totally certainly not the palm reader in my community. There are some things we can say about the future, but no one knows for sure what the future is going to bring.
Will the new year be filled with good things? Maybe, maybe not. I’m sure some good things are going to come our way. Yes, I think we can bank on that. Will the new year bring some not so good things? You can count on that, brothers, and sisters.
I’m thinking there are two general categories of things that will come our way. There will always be those things that come our way that are beyond our control. If the weather patterns work in just a certain way we’ll get a bunch of snow and there’s not much we can do to prevent that. Lots of things will come our way that we can’t control. On the other hand, there are things that will come our way that are within our control. If a big snowstorm is predicted and we don’t get out the snow shovel or have any salt around we’ll suffer the consequences because those are things within our control.
As the new year unfolds we will encounter all kinds of things on the highway and life. We get to decide how we are going to respond; what we will do or not do and how we react. One thing is for certain, none of us know exactly what’s coming our way. The only thing we know is how we will face what comes our way. Will I have another serious bout with an infection that never got identified and took three weeks out of my life? I don’t know. I hope not. Will I win the lottery and become a millionaire? Most certainly not because I won’t buy lottery tickets, which probably impacts my chances of winning.
While we can’t always predict the future, we do have influence on the future. We have control to one degree or another over how we react to what the future brings. Another thing I know for sure is that God is always with us with whatever the future brings. We are full partners with the Lord and how life unfolds. Is it going to be a good year or a terrible year for us? None of us can say for sure, but what we can say is that a lot of the answer to that question depends on us.
I hope you have a good year. I hope things go well for you. Even more importantly, I hope you bring a good attitude and a good spirit and a spirit that walks with the Lord as the new year unfolds in your life. I hope the same things for me.
Blessings, and Happy New Year