[Y]ou did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.
This is the bit in Luke’s Gospel right after Jesus comes to Jerusalem and weeps over the city, and right before he enters the Temple and overturns the tables. Bad things will happen to you, because you did not recognize God’s presence in your midst.
True, Jesus- God incarnate- was in their midst. But with God’s gift of the Holy Spirit, isn’t God in our midst even now? Do we recognize it? As Jesus laments, do we recognize the things that make peace?
Tomorrow, in my tradition is the first day of the new Christian year, the first Sunday of Advent. That would make today the Christian equivalent of New Year’s Eve day. Today, I’m going to do all those New Year’s things that we do associated with the secular calendar on Dec 31.
Review 2020 – Phew. What a year! My boss announced his retirement, we elected a new Bishop to serve as my boss, and I still really enjoy the good work I get to do in the midst of all of that change.
After having previously sold our house and car and moving into a downtown apartment, 2020 brought us to buying a house and car, and moving out of downtown into a lovely neighborhood.
My sick loved one was hospitalized seven times, for a total of over three months inpatient hospitalization. Over a quarter of the year. They remain in the hospital but are expected to return early next week. With better meds, and the assistance of our guardianship, they appear more stable than they have been for all of 2020.
Upon their release, they plan to travel to Seattle to stay for a few months with biological relatives. My deep hope is that this is a lovely time to reconnect with family. Previous visits have not ended well, so I’ll prepare for a quick trip to Seattle, in case we’re needed to retrieve our loved one. And hope we don’t need to.
Plan for next year –
My day job will remain unsettled, as my new boss and pastor begins in the end of January. I hope to help with a smooth transition.
We will be finished with building a second floor porch on our house. It’s mostly just for my husband and I, and will serve as a sleeping porch, and an outdoor respite, when things at home are cooky. It’s feeling a little like all of those home makeovers, when the couple is reintroduced to their bedroom, renewed and peaceful. Good space really does make a difference, especially for me.
My loved one will start the year on an extended visit. That will either work well, and help cement a sense of independence, or it won’t. With everything we do, we will aim to be nimble, and always supportive.
We will likely have gained guardianship, which I suspect will make caretaking immensely easier.
So back to Jesus and God’s presence. I’ve no doubt God’s been present this year. I don’t always have a sense of peace, but frequently. And sometimes I feel peaceful in the midst of absolute chaos. That must be God’s presence. Next year, I aim to continue in my daily prayer, and also bring that sense of God’s imminence throughout my day. Happy New Year’s!
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