Next Year all Our Troubles will be Far Away

There's a line in that song. The one Judy Garland sings in the soft glow of fake looking light that tricks people into thinking girls look sweet and fuzzy when they cry. (They don't, just in case you didn't know. They actually usually look red and blotchy, and/or stained black with mascara.)

But in the song she says: "Next year all our troubles will be far away."

Maybe they were for Esther. After all, she got to go to the world's fair and marry John Truett and live happily ever after in the "Corny chick-flick" section of the DVD cupboard.
But for me, I'm not so sure.

Next year I may be home. I may not. I might be happy and healthy and safe. I might still be alone. I might have a cat. I might have a home. I might have a new friend. I might lose one of the old. I might be anywhere, and that is a beautiful and terrifying realization.

What will "next Christmas" bring for me? I hope I do better than to worry about the presents under the tree. Those aren't the real gifts.

The real gift is Jesus, people say. And I believe that with all of my heart. Jesus should be the reason for this season.

But there are other "real" gifts too. They are the lessons we learn between Christmases.

All last year's troubles really are quite far away, now that I think about it. Between this Christmas and last I've been blessed with many lessons learned. Among them are:

• Don't eat fudge for every meal. 
• Don't trust your secrets to unworthy keepers. 
• Refuse to let yourself grow bitter.
• Forgive, and you will feel better.
• Ask forgiveness and you will feel best of all. 
• Don't let life make you a victim. 
• Remember not to let yourself take on other people's foolish burdens.
• God is with you, even in the greatest feelings of emptiness.
• Good friends are rare.
• Most people's opinions don't really matter. God's opinion does. 
• Be thankful. 
• You have strength. 
• Sing more.
• Look for the good in people. 
• Don't roll your eyes. 
• Thank your teachers. 
• Don't be afraid to cry sometimes. 
• Love is a strength. 
• There is always Hope. 

This year is one I will be happy to leave behind me, but if I've learned all that ^^^ and more, it can't have been a bad year, not really. Next year is scary, but I'm ready for scary. I'm ready to feel again. The numbness of winter is fading and I'm ready for spring, and smelling flowers, even if it means walking through a dark forest to find them. Always, I am thankful for all that Jesus has done for me. 

"The Mighty One has done great things for me. Holy is His Name." Thank you King Jesus. Forgive my doubt and my frustration. Take foolish me away, and replace me with Your Spirit.