We have officially made it into a new year! If you are reading this, we made it together.
2020 saw 400,000 thousand more deaths than 2019 according to the Associated Press in the United States, and as of when the article was written, were on track to record more deaths than ever recorded.
This is a sad and sobering number. That means, almost everyone reading this has been impacted by loss of life over the last year. I have seen far too many posts of families on social media who aren’t even able to celebrate the life of their loved ones.
If you are mourning the loss of a loved one, I pray you will be comforted as you are reminded that our ‘Father is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit’. Psalm 34:18.
I pray that as we walk into this new year, that we will walk boldly and confidently in the assignments that God has set for us. That we will live each day to the fullest, not taking anything or anyone for granted. And that we will love as our Father has taught us to love.
If 2020 has taught us anything, it is that life is short and none of us are promised tomorrow. Make sure your loved ones know that they are loved.
Dear Heavenly Father, even as we continue in 2021, some of the things that we thought we were leaving in 2020 has not been the case. Father, will you please comfort the hearts of those mourning losses and being unable to celebrate or gather with families that offer comfort. Please continue to remind us that you are close to the broken-hearted.