By Randy Brunson
DULUTH, Ga. | One of the great beauties of life is that we have the opportunity to meet so many people. And we find that the varied and diverse backgrounds, countries of origin, belief systems and perspectives that each of them brings, adds richness to the tapestry of our lives.
Brunson
Today, let me reflect on 2022 from my perspective. And what is that perspective? More than anything else, I simply choose to be a friend and follower of Jesus. And I would gladly forego all else for this unique experience.
LOSS: This is a part of life, a part of the journey: just as life, so death. We all experience loss though we experience the death of those we love differently, as death seems so final. When we experience loss, I’m learning to give myself the freedom to experience the enormity of loss. And to grieve. Grieving, often through tears, cleanses, purifies, and heals the soul. Sometimes grieving expresses as anger. If you need to take the Louisville Slugger to the metal trash can in the backyard, go for it. Do it so it scares the neighbors. Grieve your losses.
UNDERSTANDING: As humans, we like to feel as if we know what’s going on, to believe we understand how things work and what is actually happening. Often, we do believe we have a handle on certain aspects of life. And yet there are times when understanding escapes us. This is especially true at times of loss. Whether it’s loss of a job, loss of our home or homeland through natural disaster or war, loss of those we love, we often don’t understand why things happen.
And in that loss, we often find we must make a choice. Will we pursue understanding, or will we choose simply to walk with God? Why did Boris lose his home and homeland when war broke out in Ukraine? Why do those we love die much sooner than we expected? We can give way to the relentless pursuit of understanding and often end up frustrated and cynical. Or we can simply walk with God. His ways are not our ways. We as humans are finite and limited. The greater our willingness to live with unknowns and mystery, and to acknowledge that there are things we simply will not understand, the greater our peace. Choose friendship with God over the pursuit of understanding such mystery.
STORY: Years ago, radio commentator Paul Harvey had a series called “The Rest of the Story,” where he shared back stories of well-known individuals. What’s the rest of the story? Death isn’t final. There is coming a day when there will be complete restoration. A new heaven and a new earth. And more than anything, it is the opportunity to experience this complete restoration, this hope above all hopes, which we celebrate at Christmas.
It is the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, His choosing to be a bridge back to the Father, which gives us this hope of a beautiful, engaging, fulfilling life – through eternity. And this is what we celebrate this Christmas season.
Those of you reading this celebrate this holiday season in many different ways. However you celebrate, we wish you peace, joy, and wonderful experiences with family and friends. In our home, we do celebrate Christmas and from our home to you, Merry Christmas.
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