So are you ready for the new year? Today is December 29, 2010. Which means that 2011 is almost here. Time to usher out the old year and bring in the new. Thinking back over this past year it is hard to forget the 3 biggest news stories of the year. The year started out on a sad note as January brought us the terrible Haiti earthquake that saw over 200,000 deaths and millions without shelter, food, and water. In July the explosion of an oil rig in the Gulf and the subsequent oil spill left many powerful images for us to ponder. And then in October we all became transfixed by the intense story of the Chilean miners. It has been a year of tragedy and triumph, of pain and pleasure, and burdens as well as blessings.
The end of the year is a good time for us to reflect on the year that was. And not just from a detached, big-picture view, but personally it is a good time for us to take a look at our lives and what the past year has meant for us. So what has your life been like this past year? What have been the ups and downs? What have been your blessings and burdens, your pains and pleasures? How has this year been for you?
This is a good time to reflect. But ultimately I think the best test of whether or not it has been a good year is simply the answer to this question, “Have I grown?” Good things and bad things are going to come our way, but ultimately it is what we do with those things that determine the overall effect on our lives. My hope for all of us for 2011 is not that we have the perfect year, but rather that no matter what comes, we grow. May you grow this year.
World Cup
Chilean miners, October
Simon Cowell left American idol
Haiti earthquake, 230,000 died in January
oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico in July