2016, And A Few Of Its Lessons

You know it…I know it…the whole world knows it:  2016 was hard…and weird.

2016 made me wish that I lived in any other time other than this one…that there was somewhere perfectly safe and happy that my family and I could sneak off to.  2016 made me long for Heaven.

But I am not in Heaven…yet.  I am here:  in this time, in this place, with these people.  And nothing that happened this year should be wasted.

In every horrific and shocking and unexpected event that took place, something is there that makes me want to double check that I am still standing on solid ground.  Something is there that can change me…can change all of us.

There are unexpected and wonderful lessons to be learned from 2016:

Lesson One:  Don’t Waste Your Old Age

Donald and Hillary…heard of them?  😉  Two people who I imagine would rather be tossed into a tank of jellyfish than be forced to enjoy brunch together.  Two people who raised armies of exuberant supporters with extremely differing ideals.  Two people who believed so strongly in their message that they poured unimaginable amounts of time and money into the hope that they would succeed.  They did all of that… and they were both, well, quite old.

Politics aside, the incredible work ethic and zeal and diligence that Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton displayed for months is undeniably impressive.  They are in their 70’s!  Hopping on a flight after delivering a rousing speech to thousands only to do the same thing in a couple of hours…day after day after day.  Can you imagine?  I can’t…and I’m only in my early thirties.

This may sound crazy, but I consider the work ethic of Donald and Hillary to be humbling.  What if I lived like that when I was 70-something?  What if my old-lady-hood was less about retiring and more about convincing everyone around me to run with abandon towards The Cause that I believe in??

Thank you, Donald and Hillary, for providing an excellent example of what it looks like to not waste your old age.

Lesson Two:  We Are All Unfit

Do you remember that story back in May about the boy who fell into the gorilla exhibit in the Cincinnati Zoo?  Of course you do…it dominated every media outlet for days and days.

The boy-in-the-gorilla-cage story may be a strange one to bring up, given everything else that has happened this year, but I believe that there is a deep-rooted issue lurking within.  An issue that is worth exposing.

Strip away all of the media, all of the finger-pointing, all of the dead gorillas and smoking rifles…and what are you left with?  A little boy who snuck away from his momma for a second and got himself into an unimaginable situation.

The world cried out “unfit mother” and publically wrote her off as the ultimate what-not-to-be.  But the truth is, little boys manage to escape from even the most vigilant of mothers.  How unfair of me to join in the hate-fest when just 2 years ago my own 4-year-old son had to be rescued out of a downtown tree with the Jaws Of Life because I turned my back to buckle the baby into the car seat.  (Humiliating, I know.)

It could have been me and my boy at the zoo.  It could have been any of us.

At the end of the day, we are all unfit.  There are a million ways that our children can get into serious trouble, and most of those reasons are because we did something imperfectly.  The major difference between us and that poor mom in Cincinnati is that we haven’t had the misfortune of our parenting mistakes being broadcasted for all to see.

Every day that my children make it through another day unscathed is a priceless gift.  And every time that we encounter a mother who has blown it big time is an opportunity for us to extend grace upon grace.

Lesson Three:  When Can I Go Home?

2016 was the year that the world lost its beautiful porcelain mask and the gross, hideous monster underneath was exposed.

If anyone previously believed that humanity was innately good with maybe a few bad eggs, they are deluded no longer.  There was so much hate and anger this year, and so many people died, that there is no one left standing who doesn’t hope for something better…somewhere better.  Somewhere safe and just and good.

The events of the past year have horrified us all:

People in France and Germany being mowed down by vehicles.
Families in Syria being flushed out and killed.
Governments wishing for the total extermination of entire people groups.
Americans shooting one another due to fear and racism.
A new era of political correctness and tolerance that has led to hate and divisiveness.
Mass shootings and stabbings and bombings orchestrated by a radical religious terror.

If there was ever a time to feel emboldened and impassioned to declare our world’s need for Jesus…It. Is. Now.

The safety and happiness and escape from evil that every person on this planet desires can only be found in God in Heaven.  Heaven is what people long for, and Heaven is what I can offer.  In fact, God in Heaven is all I can offer.  Jesus is the cure for the madness.

I can’t wait to go Home.  I long for the safety and joy of living forever on a New Earth where my King is sitting and ruling on His throne.  But until that glorious day, I live in a tumultuous time…and there will more than likely be more 2016’s.

May we look to Jesus for answers.  May we be refined by suffering.  And may we lay up our treasures in Heaven, and nowhere else.

What hard lessons did you learn from 2016?

Related Posts That You Might Enjoy:

• Thoughts On The Movie “Noah”
• The Secret Needs Of Lonely People
• Where To Turn When It’s Been One Of Those Days
• On Rejoicing And Weeping, Together

Photo Credits:  here

Lauren Souers

Hi, my name is Lauren. I am the wife of one fine man and the momma of four (huge) young children – three boys and one princess! I love all of them. I mostly clean up messes and feed people all day, and it’s really fun to write about it. Jesus is the rock of my family – we love and serve a mighty King! I hope you leave here full of hope that “tired” can be good.