A Terribly Great Year

A year of sickness.

Like many families, our family has struggled with sickness.

No sickness is pleasant at the time, yet we are thankful for the sickness in our family. It has given us a greater appreciation for health.

Being sick makes us more dependent on others. Being sick has allowed our family to lean more on each other. Being sick has given us the opportunity to care more for each other.

Sickness has brought us closer together.

May 2021 be a year of health. Let us be thankful for our health.

But when sickness comes, let us take joy in our sickness, so that we may care more for each other.

A year of death.

Like many families, our family has struggled with the passing of loved ones.

It hurts to lose those we love, yet we are thankful for deaths in our family. It has given us a greater appreciation for life.

Death reminds us that our life is temporary. Death reminds us that the lives’ of those we love are temporary.

Death reminds us that we shouldn’t waste the life we have. Or take for granted the lives of those we love.

Death has brought us closer together.

May 2021 be a year of life. Let us make the most of the life we’ve been given.

But when death comes, let us take joy in death. Let us take joy in the life lived. Let us take joy in the lives we have.

Sickness and death are not new to the world.

The world has seen and will continue to see problems.

In John 16:33 Jesus says, “In this world you will have troubles.”

Jesus overcame the world and troubles in it, but he didn’t magically remove the world’s problems.

The troubles of this year won’t magically disappear when the ball drops.

While I hope and pray 2021 will be a better year for everyone, I know that 2021 will still be a year of troubles.

The question is not: “Will we see troubles?”

The question is: “What will we do about the troubles we see?”

We all have this idea of a perfect world with no problems.

What does love look like in a perfect world?

What is real love in a world with no problems?

It’s easy to love when everything is good.

Love is easy in a perfect world.

But is easy love real love?

Real love is made possible in a broken world full of problems.

When problems arise and the door to a perfect world is closed…

Then the door to a greater love, a perfect love, is opened.

The problems that will come with 2021 will also come with the opportunity to demonstrate a greater love.

May this year be a year of great troubles,

So that it may be a year of even greater love.

James 1:2-3 – “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trails of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”