Any year, as it concludes,
brings about a reflection with many shards of memory redoubled in the perception
for what has been experienced.
The annus horribilis
(Latin for “horrible year”) has been made famous by Queen Elizabeth II in 1992
and United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, in 2004. The latter was
unfortunate. A “horrible year” it wasn’t so much that preceded the biggest
humanitarian disaster, the Boxing Day tsunami, only five days later.
But the annus horribilis
phenomenon doesn’t really gel. Who can say a present year is a bad one when the
next one might be worse? Someone could say we have had an annus horribilis. From a worldly standpoint they’d be right; but
not in God’s sight.
***
My 2014:
January: the problem was back pain, which
2013 ended with.
February: the living and daily mantra was “head
down, bottom up” to rally within an injustice.
March: new life was conceived; later
our stillborn son, Nathanael Marcus.
April:
released! From a vocational calling (the church I was serving at) which meant I
had to look for another call.
May:
calm before the storm. Two storms, actually. The calm was actually a deception.
Things were not as calm as they seemed.
June:
first storm hits. It came to blow suddenly on June 26 and didn’t abate until
mid-September. Horrible month, but July would not be any better...
July:
tragic news. Our baby’s condition in utero was perilous and he would soon be
lost.
August:
time to be brave. In two ways: the imminent loss of our son and courage needed
when under fire.
September:
preparation month in preparation for...
October:
life experiences! Journeying through life-changing drama pertaining to one
person very dear to us, as well as the loss of our son.
November:
saying goodbye to Nathanael Marcus, formally at his funeral on November 7.
December: new
beginnings emerging at a new church in 2015.
***
As God is not partial, neither are the years partial. It’s only
our perception that gives way to the idea that some years are more horrible
than others.
We certainly have tragic seasons, but the years are all oh so
typical in the overall scheme of things.
Whatever has been your experience of 2014, hold it sacred as a
special and unique year that transformed you in growth. Even the fact you are
reading this means there is much cause for true celebration.
Every year we are given and that we have is blessed.
© 2015 S. J. Wickham.
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