2018. Wow. I am not sad to see you pass. Or maybe, I'm really glad to see you go. Cartoon depictions often show the new year as a baby and the passing year as an old man. If I could get my hands on 2018, I might get charged with elder abuse.
But it's not really 2018's fault.
There were a lot of things that happened in 2018 that were unexpected. And my reaction to these things wasn't expected.
I went to 5 funerals, and could have gone to several more. We lost 3 church members. I participated in some capacity in 4 of the 5 funerals. I told an old friend of my dad's who is a funeral director that if I had to carry many more coffins, I was going into his line of work.
There were friends and mentors who dealt with serious healthy issues this year. I didn't take nearly enough time to support these people the way I should have. But it did prompt me to finally start getting serious about my own health.
But the thing that was the biggest issue wasn't all the bad things going on around me. It was the way i reacted to these things. I became withdrawn, isolated. Way too deep in my own head. Way too focused on the negative.
In the closing of his letter to the Philippians, Paul instructs them this way:
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."
Yeah there's plenty of bad to think about. Yeah this world isn't at all like perfection. But it does very little good to dwell on these things continually.
So if I have resolved to do anything in 2019 (and I don't make resolutions), then I have resolved to think on better things. We are bombarded with enough negativity from all sides: from the news, from the talking heads, from our political "leaders".
We (and I) must remember there is a great deal of beauty, of truth, of excellence all around us if we just look for it.
So 2018, don't let the door hit you on the way out.
2019.....I just believe I'm going to be a little bit better this year.
