Have you made New Year’s resolutions?
For some people this is a time for new beginnings. For some it is a time for spiritual renewal. They dedicate themselves to reading their Bibles more, or they commit themselves to praying more. Others focus on their physical health as they resolve to walk, bicycle or work with weights more often. Others join diet plans from various organizations. Still others resolve to do volunteer work to support hungry people at food banks or other helping organizations.
Your own “new beginnings” may be different from the ones I have listed above, but whatever yours are, they will be blessed by God as you place them before the Lord.
We pray that 2022 will be a better year. We turn the page on 2021 and want to put behind us all the pain, suffering and sadness of this past year. But this new year already presents challenges before us.
The omicron virus is surging through the country. Extreme weather is creating emergency conditions for others. People are trying to cope with the aftermath of a terrible fire that swept a community north of Boulder, Colorado. Some towns and cities have firefighters, police officers, nurses and doctors testing positive for the covid virus, placing communities at risk for not having sufficient first responders.
Clergy and congregations grapple with worship practices in the face of the virus in their communities. Yet we pray for a new year with hope and anticipation.
And there is hope! A new vaccine is about be to put on the market according to a San Francisco physician and another anti-viral medication is about to be used in India. In California the Sierra Nevada range received nearly 14 feet of new snow boosting reservoirs up to 55% capacity.
These are signs of new beginnings in science and nature. Many other new beginnings are happening all around us. God continues to bless us with His presence. He has promised to never forsake us or leave us alone.
Yes, there will still be tornados, hurricanes, and other disasters, but God will stand by us as we recover and move forward. He will make it possible for us to make “new beginnings”.
Happy New Year!
One Minute is written by Pastor Ron Rehrer, Counselor for Church Workers of the PSD. Ron can be reached via e-mail at ron@ronrehrer.com or by phone at 949.433.5182
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