Happy New Year!

Well, we made it folks! I do believe a collective sigh is in order. 2012 (the year that was “doomsday”) is finally in the books and we would do well to count our blessings for a moment. After all, despite a spiraling economy, inept leadership, increasing terror and violence both at home and abroad, the sudden disappearance of our beloved Twinkie and the rapid erosion of our moral foundations, the Mayans were wrong and we are still here. It is January 1st, 2013 and we have been given a chance to make the most out of the days ahead.

Now, before I continue with this post there is something you should probably know about me.

I’m not a doom and gloom kind of guy. Generally speaking, you might call me an optimist. I tend to see the good in things and choose to have a positive outlook on life. You won’t see me wearing a long face very often, but it’s not because I’m not concerned about the state of things – I am. It doesn’t take a genius to read the warning signs that difficult times still lie ahead. 2013 may very well bring the hard bite that 2012 barked about for so long. Yes, I am concerned, but I am not worried. I am prepared for the worst, and I’m at peace.

How, you ask?

It’s because I know who wrote the story of our world and he’s given us all we need to know how the story ends for those who love him. (Spoiler Alert: It ends with a glorious rapture, the return of the true king, a millenium of peace on earth, and life that lasts far beyond the shelf life of a Twinkie.)

Like the greatest of all storytellers, our God has penned and paced His story perfectly. The ending of every great story must first take us through some very dark times. It’s simply the way story works. The bad guys close in, the good guys plans are seemingly for naught and ultimately we must come to a point where it seems as if all hope is lost before evil is finally defeated and the victory is won. As a father and a husband I must be diligent and do my best to understand the times we live in and prepare for the final chapters of the story that are yet to come. I do this by reminding my family as often as I can that our hope does not lie in this world alone, but in the Kingdom that is yet to come. I do this by preparing, like Joseph, for the basics of my families survival. But mostly I do this by studying my heart and making sure it isn’t too attached to the stuff of this world – the Twinkies, if you will. Keeping a loose grip on the comforts of life, and a firm grip on the Lord of life is what gives me peace and allows me to continue to look to the future with optimism despite what is happening around us.

God has promised to rescue us in the end, and rescue us He will. He promised us that times will get darker before the dawn, and it is easy to see the darkness growing as each day passes. But he also promises his peace even in tough times.

Isaiah 26:3  “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”

So this year, I encourage you all to consider what it is you are holding on to. Hold loosely to your Twinkies, because they can disappear in an instant. Cling to the Lord, study his Word and trust Him. You will not be shaken even if the doomsday predictions of 2012 somehow find us in the year ahead or beyond. You’ll be prepared and you’ll be at peace.

May God bless you and give you a wonderful year in this 2013th chapter of His Story.