December 31. The last day of the year. And the sixth day of Christmastide. This is a natural moment for reflection. The year is ending. A new one is beginning. And the question is always the same: what have I learned?
The Christmas story is a story of new beginnings. A child is born. A new covenant begins. A new way is opened. And every year, at this moment, we are invited into that same new beginning. Not because the calendar changes, but because the God who entered the world is still present, still speaking, still offering new life.
Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.
Isaiah 42:9Isaiah spoke of new things. And the baby in the manger was the newest thing: the Word of God in human flesh, the King of kings in a feed trough, the Lord of glory in a stable. Everything before Him was preparation. Everything after Him is fulfillment. He is the new thing.
Looking Back to Move Forward
There is value in looking back. Not to live in the past, but to learn from it. What did this past year teach you? Where did you grow? Where did you fail? What did you learn about God, about yourself, about the people you love?
But looking back is only useful if it helps you move forward. The question is not just "what happened?" The question is "what now?" What will you do with what you have learned? How will you carry the gifts of this year into the next?
One thing you can carry is the gift of Christmastide itself. The practice of staying in the light, of holding the joy past its moment, of recognizing that some things deserve more than a day. That is a practice for every day, not just December.
What Will You Keep?
As the year closes, what will you keep? Not the regrets. Not the failures. The lessons. The growth. The moments when God showed up. What from this year will you carry into the next?
Father, thank you for this year. For its joys and its sorrows, its growth and its struggles. Thank you for every moment you were present, even when I did not recognize you. Help me to carry the gifts of this year forward. The lessons. The love. The faith you have built in me.
And help me to embrace the new year with hope, not fear. Because you are with me. You have always been with me. And you will never leave. In Jesus' name, Amen.
With honesty and hope,
Claire