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Happy New Year!  Happy?  Hmmm…

My father is suffering from dementia and numerous physical problems.  I fear that I will lose him in 2013, either physically or mentally.  And being a true daddy’s girl, this loss will leave a gaping hole in my life.

My mother-in-law has stage 4 mesothelioma that has spread to her stomach.  “It may be weeks; it may be months.  Only God knows,” the doctor said.  So 2013 will bring the loss of a close family member — and a dear friend.

My oldest son faces a child support court date next week.  My son is currently living with us so I’ve had the luxury of seeing my grandson every other day but feel that the court may say (and it’s true) that this back-and-forth is not good for the child.  My time with the  joy of my heart may be greatly curtailed — and my heart aches.

My professional job is doing well but my desire to do it is fading.  Perhaps it’s the stress of dealing with the things listed above.  Perhaps it’s because my true passion of Bible study and writing is suffering from lack of time.  My heart cries out, “Pursue your passion”; my pocketbook cries a different song.  The battle rages on.

Happy New Year?  Hmmm…

My father may be lost to me but he is not lost to Christ.  So if I should lose him, it is only because he has gone home.  How can I not thrill at the thought of his mind being free from strain, his body being free from struggle, and his family in whom he delights surrounding him once again?  Praise the Lord! How happy the thought!

My mother-in-law’s body may be dying but her spirit and soul are only beginning to live.  How can I not thrill at the thought of her body being whole and her lungs breathing freely again, all while living in the mansion of her dreams?  And I shall visit her there!  Praise the Lord! How happy the thought!

My oldest son is learning life’s lessons the hard way but his son is alive, not aborted!  How can I not thrill at the growth I see in my son and how can I not want what is best for my grandson?  My selfishness must be put aside and I must spend the year on my knees so that I might tell and show him the greatest of all loves, which is Christ’s love for him, his dad, and me.  Praise the Lord!  How happy the thought!

My professional life may interfere with my passionate life, but I know that this is just a season.  How can I not thrill at the thought that 2013 might be the year when one season ends and another begins?   That, beginning at some point this year, I could be spending the rest of my life writing about and leading others in the study of God’s Word!  Praise the Lord!  How happy the thought!

Happy New Year?  Happy, indeed!