I don't have to explain 2016 to you. Unless this
is the first post you've read, you'll know that it's been terrible. 2016 has
been a year beyond emotional expression.
The difficulties of
2016 have been expressed over the course of punishing weeks that turned into
months. Every struggling step told the story. The story of weary days and
nights somehow turned into a year.
Tonight that year is
over. I'm so glad.
But let's not say it
was all bad. Sure there was that stage IV cancer thing. Riots on the streets of
my hometown. The car unexpectedly quitting on me for good. The ugly election.
Dear friends calling other dear friends stupid, ignorant, racist, whatever as a
result of the ugly election. That happened and I don't know that it helps
pretending like it didn't.
Even with all these
things happening in our daily lives, it's not like we walked around all
inconsolable all the time. We still laughed together, had special times
building great memories together, teased each other, made new friends, ate
amazing homemade food, stayed up too late (probably while eating amazing homemade food). In so many ways the year was wonderful.
And people were
wonderful to us. Our family never knew how much we were loved than when our
whole world exploded into flames and our friends and family came running.
Some of the toughest
memories of the year will always have a touch of sweetness to them because they
bring along with them the thought of a friend who came by just at the right
time. Undoubtedly, some of you reading this right now were among those people.
Thank you.
2017 hands us all
kinds of uncertainty. You all know what the doctors have said and can probably
understand why we aren't really looking for relief to miraculously come by
flipping a page on a calendar. We know that only Jesus can help us through
this. Whether this all gets better or worse when the clock strikes twelve, we
still have joy in our grief.
So we're dispensing
with the idea of making 2017 a good year. Or even a "better" year for
that matter.
In 2017 we're
chasing after time. Good times, bad
times, time lost, time wasted, time stolen, time spent doing and being the
important things. The things that build relationships. The things that last.
Those kind of
moments quickly turn into days. And those days turn into years. And those kind
of years are always good ones.
Let's get started.
Now.
1st stop: the
California Redwoods
2nd stop: Disneyland
