What a year 2021 was, eh? For me personally, it was worse than 2020! Allow me a few lines of whining...
-I ended 2020 with Covid, still can't smell and can barely taste.
-The company I've been with for 6 years had their state contract unexpectedly cut short, which effectively ended employment for all of us who taught under that contract. After a little over a month of being off work and waiting for rehire, I was finally back, teaching in the same place but under a new employer.
-I was diagnosed with a chronic condition and had to start taking immune suppressants to slow the damage being done.
-Family and friends have experienced levels of suffering and loss through circumstances and sickness.
Okay, enough, you get the general picture! And for each of those whines, I could add a praise with it about how something has come from it or a lesson has been learned from it. But as I thought over the year and have talked about a new year coming, I've noticed myself saying something frequently:
2022 has got to be better!
Then it dawned on me...it CAN be better! I can't control world events, illness, and life losses, but guess what....I can control my attitude and actions!!! And so, my word for 2022 is BETTER!
We can all be better! Better employees, spouses, students, parents, friends, children, customers, Jesus followers, neighbors...let's be better! Worry less about the news and about making your point on social media and be better at listening, understanding, and improving the world!
Our attitudes can be better! We can choose positive over negative, growth over grousing, and friendliness over snarkiness...let's do better!
If you don't have any spiritual disciplines in your life, I'd highly recommend that you get into bible reading and studying, praying, and finding a good group of Christians to grow with. Along with having a supportive husband and family, one special blessing from this year which has helped me get through a lot of 2021 junk is an online bible study group we joined, affectionately known as 'Caleb's Crew.' God can really bless and strengthen you and Holy Spirit becomes more apparent when you have a group of fellow believers living life with you.
Some good verses for meditation, consideration, ponder-ification:
Romans 14:19: So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.
Galatians 6:9: And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
Philippians 3:12-15: Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
