Another Year’s End, Or Is It A New Beginning?

Another year is quickly coming to a close. That seems sad to me when I think about all that transpired in 2023…with its highs and lows, and the loss and the changes. But the choice is mine. I can enter the new year in sadness because death robbed me of someone special or I can rejoice in the treasures that developed from that loss…of which I’ve been blessed with many. I choose the latter.

So I’m moving forward into the new year with a grateful heart, a greater sense of belonging and purpose, and a future filled with love from all angles. A new beginning. I praise God for all these gifts.

I hope you take a moment to think about how blessings can be born from heartache. What heartache did you suffer this past year? What hardship? If neither, congrats. There were still lessons to be learned. Reflect on those.

Jesus walked this earth as a man and he understood the human side of pain. He cares for each one of us. Open your heart to see what gifts he’s given you. As odd as this may sound, sometimes we find comfort in pain. But know that God doesn’t want us to dwell there. He wants us to be an active part of his work here on earth. That doesn’t mean forgetting what we’ve lost. It means using the pain, heartache, and loss to help others. To teach, comfort, and love others.

Allowing God to heal our hearts and by appreciating his constant gifts is how we move forward.

So here’s to 2024…

May you recognize his blessings and embrace them. And may you walk happily into this new year with a new and greater sense of purpose and with much thankfulness. ♥️

Andi

Photo: my glass of champagne at a Maine wedding many years ago; cool internet photo