Goodbye, '09

I've lived through some hard years, but none quite like 2009. It was hard all the way around. But you know what's interesting? Wherever there was pain, you could clearly see God counteract it with joy.

1. Jay died... but the end of his life taught me volumes about how to live for God, and the 4 years he was sick served as a testimony to me and many others to God's faithfulness. Also, attending the memorial service allowed me to see family I hadn't seen in years.

2. Josh, my nephew graduated from high school and left for the Navy. I was so used to having him here almost every weekend. I love him like my own son, and now suddenly he was gone... but he fulfilled a dream he'd had since he was a little boy, and he grew up to be an amazing guy who is also my hero.

There are situations that I am in the thick of that, right now, seem like nothing but suffering. Health problems within my family, a teenage niece in drug rehab... but if I do my best to remember how God calmed the storms in my life at other points during the year, it's a lot easier for me to hang onto hope and believe that somehow my current pain will glorify God.

Even so... this has been a year of incredible loss for myself and many others. I'm glad to bid it adieu. I'm hoping that while 2009 was a year of letting go, 2010 will be a year of grasping onto new, better things.

Happy 2010 to you and yours. Just think - this time 10 years ago you weren't sure if you were even going to be alive tomorrow. Ha! Pin It