Dear 2021,

As far as epic disasters went, you were much kinder than 2020. Thank you. Compared to years an older generation might remember, we could not much complain. We still weathered storms through the Grace of God. We said a silent goodbye to some of those we will not see again until we follow them into heaven.

We continued to fight and struggle. We had highs and lows. Our paths led us to unknown places, and our hearts made us hold tight to our faith and our loved ones. There were breathless moments of anticipation and moments of deep disappointment. Battles were won and lost. Lives changed. Babies were born. Dreams came true or shattered on the rocky shore.

Some say goodbye to you with a fond smile or a feeling of triumph, and others with a sad sigh, while some will feel the weight of you for as long as they live.

Whatever impact you had on our lives, we are not the same people who greeted you at midnight on the 1st of January as we leave you behind at the stroke of midnight on this 31st day of December.

2020 had changed our lives dramatically, but as we adjusted and adapted to a new world—where shaking hands and hugging friends became a life-threatening gamble—we had to readjust our view of ourselves. Things we took for granted, like leaving the house and going to work or school, became a hazard.

I believe we have become a more appreciative and grateful community of believers. We learned that nothing is guaranteed, but there is always a way—a path forward and a new tomorrow. We had to re-establish our faith in the One True God and realize that we do not steer our lives.

We are not in control of the world around us, and we do not need to be in control. We are here to live, to follow the path meted out for us before the foundations of the world were set, and to allow His light to shine through us.

As we reach for 2022, one last thought for those who read this: Be that person who looks at the heavens and sees the light of the stars, not the void of dark space in between. Light leads, but voids consume.

Speak your faith to your needs, doubts, fears, and pain, for it can move mountains, beloved. Mark 11:23