Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
For the past hour, I have been sitting with a blank Word document before me, trying to think of what to write for this month. All that I keep thinking is, “It can’t already be a new year, can it?”
January 2012. By our calendar, it is a new year. A new year which at this point holds as many possibilities as the blank Word document that was staring at me a moment ago.
This new year, also contains cycles that are already in motion that impact the fresh new year. Although it is a new calendar year, the school year is nearing its halfway point. The liturgical church year, which begins with Advent, began about a month before this new year. The seasons cycle (both in nature and sports) throughout the year. Although there is a new year just ahead, it’s almost as if we’re constantly fluctuating between new beginnings and being in the midst of waiting for the next beginning.
In the midst of the new beginnings and various cycles, we are surrounded by almost constant change. Sometimes the changes are small, other times the changes are considerably larger.
God made some huge changes for us. In the beginning, God changed the nothingness of the universe and created a place for man to dwell with Him. On the first Christmas, He sent His Son Jesus to the earth He created to be fully God and fully human so that He could change our eternal destination. When Jesus died on Good Friday and rose on Easter morning, He changed everything. Instead of leaving us stranded on the path of eternal separation from God with sin, death, and the devil, Jesus exchanged himself. He bore our sin, death, and punishment in hell so that as baptized children of God, we have forgiveness and eternal life with God.
Even though we often think of change as a bad thing, think of where we would be without it.
This time of year you may be reflecting on the things that happened in 2011, looking forward to what could happen in 2012, what you would like to change for 2012. A year may be full of successes and failures, joy and happiness, failed expectations and surprising accomplishments, sickness, health, and a host of other memories. But though we may change, or the circumstances around us, Jesus does not.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. –Hebrews 13:8
No matter what changes to or around us, Jesus remains our constant. God remains faithful to us, and keeps His promises.
Blessings and Love in Christ,
Deaconess Amanda
