We are in a new year. 2021 has arrived. Today is actually the 5th day of this new year. Time has marched on, even when we don't think that it does. As difficult as 2020 was, as many struggles as I faced and you faced, the days continued to tick away. While it seemed like some of the days and weeks were dragging, before I knew it, a week had disappeared and then a month, then several months and finally the year itself was gone. Now I understand what goes on for our friends and neighbors who are live in the nursing home or are homebound. They would relate to me that time still went quickly for them. They had the same routine each day - get up at the same time, go through the same motions each day, and then the day would end when they went to bed at night - and the days moved quickly. Day after day ticked away. And that is how I feel about this last year. As long as it was, it still went quickly.
Which makes me think about 2021. 5 days into it! Today is my mother-in-law, Shirley Rex's, 91st birthday. I can't imagine how fast those years must have gone. 91 years. Here I at 59, looking at 60 this year, and it doesn't seem possible. I don't believe that I am really that old, that I have taken that many trips around the sun. How is that possible? Each day seems to slip away quickly. And it seems to go faster as I have taken more trips around the sun. It was just a few years ago that I was in high school, and college and then Seminary. It seems like just a short time ago I began in the ministry. I remember looking at the men who had served 30+ years in the ministry and think, "Man, they have really come through a lot. They have spent so many years serving the Lord." And now, here I am having served 34 years in the ministry. I am one of those older guys who have served many years.
What will 2021 bring? I don't know. I do know who holds the days in His hand - and it isn't me. The Lord holds each day in His hand. I look at the days, and I rejoice that He holds the days and I don't. I would mess up the days. I do that enough because of my sinful nature. Even as I try to follow the will of God daily, temptation comes calling and I struggle to continue to do that. I have to repent daily. I confess my sins, and ask the Lord to forgive me for the sake of Jesus' sinless death and resurrection. Believing in Jesus, I know that I am forgiven. I give thanks that the Lord leads and guides me through each of these days.
Yesterday, there was a stupid thing in the news. It was when Rev. Emanel Cleaver ended the opening prayer for the 117th congress with "amen and awoman." This was an attempt to be inclusive, as Pelosi is trying to get into the rule of the new congress. It was really dumb. "Amen" is latin for "it shall be so." It is not a gender specific word. Cleaver is saying he was trying to do a pun on the word to show respect for the women in congress. It was a stupid pun. It was a dumb move on his part. As a pastor, he should know better than having that be a gender specific word. It would be like changing the songs in a hymnal from "hymns" to "hers." Once again, no gender is intented. Or perhaps in restaurants, we should not have "menus" but should have "womenus." The whole gender specific wording, removing father and mother and having to use parents, or instead of aunts and uncles, having to use parent's siblings. Really? There are still genders. Two genders. Male and female, as the Lord created them. In this sinful world, we have tried to do away with the two genders. But there is still two genders. That is the way the Lord intended. And that is the way it should continue to be.
So as we have started this new year, we see that there is nothing new. We are going to face the same struggles through this year that we faced last year. There may be new challenges, new ways of being tempted, new ways to argue with each other and so on. But in the end, it always comes down to the question: Are we going to follow the will of the Lord? Or are we going to turn away from His way? Me, I am going to continue to following His will. Will I be perfect at it? No. But that doesn't stop me from confessing my sin, seeking the guidance of the Spirit to face temptation and knowing that I live in His grace and mercy. I can only say, "Lord, be my guide each day. Forgive me my sins. Help me to live as Your child."
Happy new year. It is almost Epiphany! Tomorrow! The Light shines brightly in this dark world.
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