Well, we took down the tree this morning. It really looked good here in this house, and I was sort of sad to take it down. But John and I took off all the ornaments and Biddie packed them up in the boxes. Then we took the tree apart and put it it the box. Now all of it is already in the car ready to come home on Saturday. Of course there is still more packing to do, much more. The car will probably be as full going home as it was coming down. But that’s OK. It’s been a great time these past two weeks, and we still have one more day to go. It should be great tomorrow. We are looking for a hig of around 70 and sunshine. We should get some good bike rides in.
I miss the kids and grandkids already. It will be a while before I get to see them. Things are about to get very busy for me these next two months. It’s hard to believe that tomorrow (almost today now) will be December 31st. Christmas is over. I know that I should think about the New Year, and in many ways I am. But it’s hard not to focus still on 2010. I think that it was Charles Dickens in one of his books, maybe David Copperfield, who pinned the phrase “It was the best of times and the worst of times.” In many ways that sums up 2010 for me. Obviously Julia’s passing made it the worst of times. If my focus had remained on just that, then it would have just been the worst of times. But Julia was born in my house on Jan 12th, obviously the best of times. There were so many more things that made it the best of times. Good friends supporting and praying for me. There was BASSM to give me focus. Sozo’s to keep me occupied in ministry. The strong presence of God in worship everywhere I went. We saw prophetic release in cell group by people who had never walked in the prophetic.
There was continued progressive healing for my daughter and others in my family. There were miraculous healings in our healing ministry and out on the streets. My niece had a miracle baby on Julia’s birthday. There was just an increased understanding of God and His goodness in our lives. There was a mission trip to Nicaragua. There was good health in me and the rest of my family. There was an increased understanding of what it is God is calling me to do the rest of my life. There were ministry trips doing sozo and youth conferences in Albany GA and Brisbane Australia.
I guess that I am thinking back over the year because it is what Julia and I used to do as we took down the tree. She always wanted to get it down before the New Year, and most of the time we did. Although we didn’t plan it, it always seemed that we wound up thinking back on all that happened. After the tree was down we could begin to focus on 2011. But tonight as I look back on 2010 in many ways it was a very good year. But the great and terrible loss of my wife will always mark it in my memory as “The best of times and the worst of times.” So, the tree is down and 2010 is fast coming to a close. I hope to spend a little time tomorrow morning reflecting on where I have been and where I am going next year. Christmas is over. It is time to renew my focus. It has been a good time. I needed these two weeks to relax and recharge to get ready for the next season. Already things are beginning to open up. Doors are opening that I feel I am called to go through.
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