The other day my husband and I looked at each other across the table and said “good riddance” to 2019. It was a difficult year filled with almost insurmountable heartbreak. Sadly, we had to go back to 2006 to find a year we were sad to see end. Still, we never completely gave up hope.
Each of those years also brought joys beyond measure. We’re grandparents four times over. We adopted our little schnoodle, Fitzgerald (“Fitzenheimer” to his friends), and we had success in our careers. My first book came out in 2006, followed by a long string of other writing projects. In 2019 I had the privilege of working with four collaborators on incredible manuscripts. Wait until you get to read them!
We can all let sorrow and disappointment consume us, or we can focus on the hope of tomorrow. In November I took my three-year-old granddaughter to see the musical rendition of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. She watched in wonder at the magical characters singing before her eyes and I got tremendous joy out of watching her dance in her Christmas dress. The original score is chock full of timeless messages about hope and overcoming adversity, but no song says it better Clarice the doe’s sweet plea to Rudolph:
There’s always tomorrow
For dreams to come true
Believe in your dreams, come what may.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEQb2OppEow
As you begin this new decade, please join me in focusing on God’s mercies that are new every morning.
Until next time,
Amy