I still can't believe this year has come to an end. It really feels like it just started not that long ago. But here we all, at the finish line of 2014, a little battered and bruised, somewhat tired, a little older but very much grateful for how things turned out. Now someone with a court side view of my life this past year might question why I would say "grateful" but I can't think of a better word.
Throughout our circle of family and friends we have seen or personally experienced cancer, divorce and death. There were numerous unplanned emergencies, financial hardships and defeats that at times tested our resolve and our faith. Perhaps if I only focused on the defeats I might be consumed with despair and a deep sense of failure. But if I back up the truck to a different perspective I can also see the vast number of blessings and good fortune that has befallen me and those close to us.
For every hardship we experienced this year we've also enjoyed wonderful blessings. We've reinvented ourselves to country living. We may not regularly see the wonderful sunsets but we're greeted every morning with gorgeous sunrises. We've made new friends and rediscovered old ones. Deaths and illnesses have led to the reconnection and reconciliation with family. Hardships only gave us opportunities to grow in our faith. And for me the greatest blessing of all is the news that we are going to be grandparents in 2015.
I'm sure many of you are also reflecting on this past year. Maybe some of you are a little sad or perhaps struggling through grief and despair. It might be hard to see the good that 2014 brought but if you're reading this at the very least you've made it through the year. Whatever 2014 threw at you, you managed to overcome and you're still standing. There are many who haven't even accomplished that much but you have.
Blessings appear in many forms and it's easy to overlook them as we face life's challenges. Keep in mind that life is all about perspective. We can choose to focus only on the hardships but if we change our perspective we'll also see the good that equally fills our days. No matter what life throws at you never forget that you are loved. Every one of us is vessel for love and compassion if we choose to be. So even if you find yourself in life's dark valleys, you still have the capacity to help someone else reach life's glorious peaks. By doing so you'll elevate yourself to those peaks before you know it.
For each of you I wish you the very best life has to offer. May God's blessings and grace fill your days every day for the year to come.
Happy New Year!
