2016 seemed to really be a crappy year. I consider 2016 to have started in December 2015 with the week-long illness and subsequent death of my 23-year-old nephew, William, a few days after my 42nd birthday and right before Christmas.
His death was followed by a cancer diagnosis of someone close to me and then I had heart surgery for SVT (supraventricular tachycardia) two days before the dawn of 2016. I entered 2016 sad and tired but hopeful....mostly.
Well, 2016 quickly said "I don't care about your hope" and David Bowie, Alan Rickman, Rene Angelil, Glen Frye and Abe Vigoda, died within days of each other in January.....and it continued from there.
In fact, I recently looked at a list of all the celebrity deaths in 2016 and there were 46 that I knew and countless other names I didn't personally recognize. People that study these things say that the number is not actually any bigger than any other year, but it feels overwhelmingly large.
Couple all the deaths with a lot of other things that people I care about have experienced (car theft, home catastrophes, illnesses, job loss) and other world issues (Zika virus, Brexit, Syrian refugee crisis and the US Election).....2016 felt oppressive.
Well, I went to bed last night determined to have a better year in 2017, but I wasn't sure how. How can I make things better in the world? How can I ensure there is less death and pain? I went to church this morning with that weighing heavily in my heart but determined to start the year worshiping Jesus......and I am so glad I did.
I play viola and was part of the morning worship team.....so powerful and uplifting. Everyone on the worship team and in the congregation was there to worship our Lord and that was all that mattered. Then our lead teaching pastor spoke about Ezra and admonished us to read the Bible more. Ezra was known for his devotion to God and His Word. Ezra was favored by the Lord because of his devotion to God's Word.
All of a sudden it clicked. There is zero that I can do to change the world's negativity (duh) but my reaction to that negativity, if fully enclosed in my worship of God, will change. And truth be told, that is what I really want. Peace in the arms of God.
