Minnie Louise Haskins wrote in her poem, “The Gate of the Year:” And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: ‘Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.’  And he replied, ‘Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God.  That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.’  (The King’s War by Peter Conradi and Mark Logue)

I sat in church today reflecting on the passing of fourteen of our members and the passing of 2021.  No one can say this year has been anything but hard, frustrating, and down right painful for most of us.  By the grace of God, I have made it through a year and a half of COVID, as have many of you, but I mourn for the 700,000 people that needed to follow Minnie’s advice to put their hands, their lives, into God’s hands.  We thought this pandemic would be over now, but thanks to many Americans who care little about others and themselves, our nation is still battling this disease.

For those who feel their rights are being infringed on, I ask that what they believe to be a safer way than putting their hands into God’s hands and believing in the science of medicine, to remember that we are all mortal, we all breathe the same air, and we all need to take care of one another.  As for the football quarterback who lied about getting his shots and endangering his teammates and those of other teams, I hope that the NFL never bestows on him the honor of the Hall of Fame.  Only honorable players should be in that place of dedication.  When he stands before God, God will not ask him about how much money he made.  He will ask, “What good did you do with the life I gave you?  Did you put on the flesh of My Son, or did you selfishly deny others your love?”  For our children who have passed, I pray that their families will be guided by God’s love; no child should die before their parents, particularly now that vaccines are available to five to eleven year old children.

As 2021 is rapidly coming to a close, I am standing at the gate to next year.  I will go out into the darkness, the unknown, and I will continue to put my life into God’s hands.  Only then will I be able to see His truth, His light, and His way.

Anna Hartt