This is something we can say in a variety of circumstances, each time with a different meaning. As we have finally gained freedom from the cluster that 2021, this phrase certainly applies differently to different people.

We are all carrying our share of “it’s been a whiles” through life. For us, as a society, it has been a while since COVID came to roost. There have been an astronomical number of losses for so many. Losses to illness, losses to violence, losses to the temptations of the world.

It’s been a while since I lost my grandparents and my mom. Three to four years now, yet sometimes it feels like just yesterday. It’s been a while since I lost my best friend, but there are still moments every day when it feels as fresh as a steaming cow patty.

2021 brought a whole lot of challenges and heartbreak. We had to say goodbye to both of the little dogs we loved so much. We lost friendships as a result of betrayal. We lost sleep and we gained weight. We lost and gained freedom from masks repeatedly. I lost my desire to write.

Still, with all the loss, there have been just as many gifts. My husband’s woodworking has started to take off. In the wake of losing those precious dogs, God brought two more amazing creatures into our lives. In the wake of heartbreak, I’ve gained a strengthening of faith and peace in the path God has made for me.

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue this blog or choose to let it go…but as I’ve prayed and pondered, I’ve learned that the time to let it go isn’t now. As long as I feel God can use my words and my experiences to touch the lives of others in a positive way, continuing on will be the right choice.

2022 brings with it the notion of a clean slate. I’m grateful to be free of animosity and anger. I’m grateful for the kids and grandkids God brought into my life. I’m grateful for the knowledge that I did my best with what 2021 threw at me and for the understanding that even the bad stuff has served its purpose.

I don’t know what this year has in store, but I do know that I can choose to face each day of it with the love and grace of a servant’s heart. Perhaps this year will bring restoration of relationships lost to the world. Perhaps this year will bring healing to the deep divisions that have plagued 2021. Perhaps…

Regardless of what comes, we ALWAYS have the choice in how we respond. Take time today to consider how you’ve chosen to respond to the events 2021 brought to your life. Consider what you need to do differently…consider the situations where you chose your will instead of listening for God’s…consider what it would look like to choose differently…then do it.

It took me a long time to understand how important it is to truly take my thoughts captive and cast my cares onto the Lord. It’s one of the most important aspects of faith I’ve ever known. I pray that through these writings, I can help others feel the same peace I’ve felt as that piece of my faith puzzle has started falling into place.

It’s not about denial of my circumstances or acting like the hard stuff just doesn’t exist. It’s about experiencing what’s hard, but not letting that stuff dictate where I live in my mind. I pray that this year brings good things for all of us. I pray for those I’ve lost, both to death and to conflict. I pray for all who read these words. May 2022 be exactly what God needs it to be!