“Shepherd me O God beyond my wants, beyond my fears, from death into life” (from a hymn based on Psalm 23).
New Year’s Day woke to grey skies, cool temps and drizzling rain – not exactly the positivity we desire as we begin another year. But I have learned to appreciate these days. They call me to sit still and reflect, something I am not prone to do. Being a morning person, my feet (and brain) hit the ground running. Before my eyes open, ideas bump into each other as I juggle them into a possible waking plan of 15+ hours.
When I reflect on 2021, I am aware that some of my plans were fruitful; while others didn’t reach fruition. Also, many enjoyable events were not on the calendar on January 1. Jim and I spent an unexpected-but-delightful week in Sanibel. In September, I visited three states I had never seen before with my brother Bill and his wife Maureen. Our family attended a nephew’s wedding, and a 23rd grandchild was announced.
On the opposite side, my husband did not plan to spend a total of 12 days in the hospital. Fortunately, everything worked out. Also, we lost a dear friend unexpectedly two days before Christmas. In other words, life is unpredictable; and that lack of control can be downright frightening. I know!
I was recently gifted with a book by Matthew Kelley titled “Life Is Messy.” I think a better title would be “Life Is Scary.” When we consider how fragile and unpredictable our lives are, we might all want to stay locked in our houses. But giving in to our fears is not living. Every minute of life is uncertain. Ask the people in Kentucky or Colorado. One hour they were comfortable in their homes; and the next hour, they had no home.
Are we guaranteed any certainties in life? The pat answer is often “death and taxes.” While there’s little reassurance in that statement, we are the recipients every day of God’s love and mercy. That is a forever-and-always certainty. It defies all odds and is present in the often-unnoticed details of our lives.
During the year, all of us experience countless expressions of God’s love through the people who pass in and out of our lives. Recently, while in the throes of Jim’s triple bypass, I came home to totally clogged bathroom pipes (a second plumbing issue). After a fitful night of determining how to deal with this dilemma, I called our nephew Greg, who had recently finished his plumber’s training. He reassured me that he would take care of it or find someone who could. I left a key; and after he made three trips and spent untold hours at my house, Jim and I came home to a fully functioning bathroom and no bill on the counter.
On the fourth evening of Jim’s stay at the hospital, he was struggling with sleep, nausea and other ailments typical of his surgery. His night nurse Emily entered his room smiling, attentive, compassionate and willing to listen patiently to all his concerns. Within 30 minutes, his mood had shifted. More relaxed, Jim passed the rest of the night peacefully.
God sends us angels all the time. Do we stop to take notice? Those who let us cut the line when we are in a hurry. Those who smile and sincerely ask, “How are you?”
These people are God’s presence in the world. They fill us with hope and trust in the goodness of humanity. They are our assurances of God’s love and mercy. As we become more aware of His blessings, we are able to venture forth into an unpredictable world confident that God always has our back. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.