Can you believe that it's December 31? The year 2021 is coming to a close and a new year is just around the corner. Here's a brief update on Darlene's health. She is getting stronger and is even walking without a walker. Her heart, her lungs, and her kidneys are in good shape. Dr. Castellaw, our doctor, flat out said that our Lord miraculously spared her life. To God be the glory for what He did in 2021 and for what He's going to do in 2022!

 

J. Sidlow Baxter shared a devotion that caught my attention. It was based on the time Jesus took five barley loaves and two little fish and miraculously fed five thousand men and that didn't take into account the women and the children who ate that day. Baxter focused on John 6:12 where Jesus instructed HIs disciples, "Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost."

 

Baxter wrote, "We are near the end of another year. What of the fragments that remain? The new year is always much affected by the way we use the last fragments of the old." Then, he listed several fragments we should pay close attention to. One of those fragments was the lessons we learned in the previous year. I would like to share with you some lessons I learned in 2021.

 

First, enjoy life with your spouse. Solomon wrote these insightful words, "Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which He has given you under the sun...." (Ecclesiastes 9:9) As many of you know, Darlene (my wife of 46 years) was diagnosed with Covid-19 and spent 9 weeks in three different hospitals. She almost died. I spent hours and hours with her in those hospitals, so I had plenty of time to think about the good times we had shared together and to pray that God would give us more good times in the future. Believe me. I will be eternally grateful for the support we received from Heather and her family (Vic, Cade, and Aynsley) along with Zac and his family (Tina and Laken). Furthermore, I will enjoy every moment God allows me to spend with Darlene.

 

Second, I will trust God in every circumstance. Obviously I can't determine the outcome but I can exercise my faith by holding on to God's promises. Take Romans 8:28 for instance. Paul wrote, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." I can't tell you the number of times that I cried out to the Lord for Darlene and that Scriptural promise shaped my prayers. My goal in this new year is to trust the Lord in every circumstance I will face.

Third, I will focus on stuff that really matters for eternity. So much of our lives are centered around things that have only temporal value--houses, vehicles, clothes, etc. Jesus said, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matthew 6:33-34) A New Tribes Missionary said, "Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at something that doesn't really matter."

I want my life to count for Jesus in this new year.

 

Fourth, I will be grateful for the church. I can't imagine going through what we went through with Darlene's sickness and now her recovery without the love, the support, and the prayers of our Collierville First Baptist family, faithful believers from other churches in Collierville, Memphis, America, and the world. Our many friends stepped into the gap for us also. Thank you for the prayers, the cards, the food, and your many expressions of love. I will be eternally grateful to the Lord and to His body, the church.

I've picked up some fragments from 2021. These include four powerful lessons that will shape my life in 2022. What fragments do you need to pick up from this previous year? Don't waste this opportunity because these fragments will impact your life going forward. Happy new year!