Thursday; December 31

Well, we made it – the last day of 2020. When we began this year, I think most of us were already a little bit stirred up. We were inundated with the news of the presidential impeachment process. Most of us were dreading the upcoming elections that were still almost a year away. The vast majority of people had not heard of George Floyd, but there was already an undercurrent of social disunity. 2020 did not necessarily get started on a positive note; but once we got a quarter of the way into the year, we realized how bad it was going to get!
Folks, I am going to do everything I can to put 2020 behind me, but before I venture into 2021, I think I need some reflection. So, what do I take away from the past year? Maybe the most important lesson I have learned is to understand that human life is fragile and unpredictable. We can make all the plans we want (and, believe me, I did); but our plans are just expectations that we will be able to do something in the future. Planning is good, fun and necessary, but let’s not plan our lives away. All we can control is today. Whether it is worrying about what might happen or looking forward to what we hope happens, the only reality we have is the here and now! The New Testament writer, James, warned against the arrogance of human planning when he observed, “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.’ Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.” (James 4:13-14).
I encourage you to look forward to an exciting 2021. Yet, let’s never forget the need to deal with life one day at a time. That is all we can do … and frankly, it is all we can handle.

Think About It! 

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