This year saw the beginning of collecting social security... and then a new job... for me. It saw the end... or nearly so... of Sasha climbing up on beds and couches and the beginning of curling up and sleeping on the floor in her snuggy bed.
This year began with saying good-bye to four friends in the space of 30 days, exactly, and the beginning of eternal life for them. I also saw friends make the same journey with a close and beloved friend of theirs. 2011 has taken its toll on our Life Group as numbers continue to dwindle and life-changing milestones come. Last year at this time we watched Larry fight the last vestiges of his cancer battle with Ethel by his side. This year we are watching Betty and John bear witness to a life-long love and the evidence of things not seen, the substance of things hoped for... one blessed day at a time.
I'm nine weeks out from neck surgery, a saga that began suddenly over three months ago... an experience that changed more than the configuration and appearance of my vertebrae. Much of my perspective has changed, a milestone of my own marking.
Time is precious and fleeting, filled with beginnings and endings... all blessed by the sustaining presence of God, the privilege of knowing Him through His Son, and the promise of spending all of time with Him. As you celebrate Christmas with whatever traditions mark your holiday, I hope you'll remember the beginning of Emanuel's journey "with us" so that all of our endings would be blessed with His promise of forever.
