December 1
“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
2021 has been an interesting year. After we went through 2020, we all hoped that things would get back to normal in 2021. Unfortunately, we have figured out that things are not going back to the way they were before the pandemic. Things are just different. The kids are back in school, but in most places, they still must wear masks. They are also being sent home frequently due to contact tracing requiring parents to figure out childcare for them. Churches are meeting again, but some people have still not returned. Those who went to church out of habit have gotten out of the habit and just haven’t gone back. We have a new president, but the political climate is as divided and contentious as ever. Most businesses have opened back up, but many people have inexplicably not returned to work. We hear rumors about supply chain breakdowns, we see empty shelves at the grocery store, and we see prices steadily rising for everything from gas to food to electricity which sparks fear and anxiety about the future. Families and friend circles are as divided as ever. Instead of arguing about who they voted for in the presidential election, they are arguing about whether they have gotten the vaccine. We hear so many conflicting reports about the vaccine that we aren’t sure who is telling us the truth. Emotions are high and we are all a little nervous about dealing with family drama over the holidays. So many friends and loved ones have been lost in the last couple of years either from Covid or from undiagnosed or too-late-diagnosed illnesses that we will have empty places around our dining room tables at Christmas dinner.
We all seem to be on pins and needles waiting for the next shoe to drop. We are scared that another variant of Covid will hit and put us all back in lockdown. When the lockdowns came in 2020, we had no idea what to expect or how long they would last. At first, it was kind of nice to have extra time with our families and to catch up on things, but then it went on and on and we just wanted things to return to normal. Now we know what to expect and we do not want to do it again. I don’t know what 2022 holds in store for us. The economy is likely to get worse. There will probably be more confusion and dissension about the vaccine and mandates for employees, children, travel, etc. It would be easy to have anxiety and fear about the future, but that is not necessary. The Creator and Lord of the universe is our God. He loves us and He promises to take care of us. We do not know what the future holds, but we know who holds the future. We are safe in His hands. We can enter 2022 confidently and securely because Jesus goes before us and will be with us every step of the way. He will prepare us for whatever we will face, and He will never leave us or forsake us. Please read the two verses above and meditate on the promises in them. As we go through this advent season, let’s keep our eyes focused on the One we are celebrating and not on the problems in the world around us, and trust Him to meet our needs.
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