This is the Voice of One...
Goodbye 2010!
Good Friday! Well, 2010 certainly came to a violent end here in Northwest Arkansas. It is strange that on the morning of the last day of the year we had tornado warnings all over the place. Three people died in Cincinnati, Arkansas. I saw the reports of one guy who was sucked out of his house by the winds and tossed across the road. I was amused by his quote that he opened his eyes because he wanted to see the end coming. This is not something you see but once, and he didn’t want to miss it. He lived. One guy who died was milking his cows. The others were a couple in their home.
I know what you’re thinking. This is where I go into a rant about the precarious nature of life, how the end comes with no warning and so forth and you know what, the temptation is strong to do just that.
But let me offer this up instead. The year 2010 is different for everyone, for some it would a good year for some it would be a bad year. For all there are good parts and bad parts, I would imagine.
For me, personally, 2010 was a year with not a lot of joy in it. The first half of the year was spent transitioning to a new employer and that wasn’t just a lot of fun. Other than that, 2010 was just kind of a blur. So I think that it is kind of symbolic that 2010 would end with a temper tantrum.
In the end I found four truths that sustains me still.
1. God is faithful. Throughout the years I have found, time and again, that the Lord has taken care of me and mine despite our foibles, despite when we tend to mess things up, despite ourselves. Boy, have I seen that this year!
2. My earthly family is awesome. As I speak with people out in the community and they tell me the woes that befall them in their dealings with their family, the point is made time and again how blessed I am to be a part of a family that is bound together with such bonds of love. Sure, we can get on each others nerves a bit and I forbid discussing politics in the house, especially in front of children, but at the end of the day I marvel at the family that my God has blessed me with.
3. My church family is amazing. I am reminded of one of the ladies in a previous ministry who was fond saying, “I’ve walked many a mile, I’ve many a mile to go.” I think that fits us to a tee. We have come so far. I’m not sure how to explain it, but from the beginning I have seen the Lord work in our congregation and amongst our people step by step as His plan is prepared and laid out one part at a time. Everything that has happened to us (since our arrival, anyway) has happened for a purpose that is preparing us for the work that is ahead. We’ve walked many a mile, we’ve many a mile to go. We have seen some dramatic progression in recent weeks, indeed we may be nearing the time when we start to exit our preparatory phase and launch our action phase.
So for that reason I say bring on 2011! It is my hope and prayer that if the Lord delays his coming and permits me to continue in this life, one year from now we will be looking back on some amazing accomplishments. If it is in the Lord’s plan!
So here is our prayer to the Lord for 2011: “You lead. We follow.”
Indeed, amen.
kjm
The Voice of One
(Isaiah 40:3)
