Bye Bye 2015 Hello 2016

I was stumped!  The Christmas "to-do" list had me occupied and it had been days since I'd written.  I had decided it was time to get back to the habit.  Yet the verses in Mark 6:1-6 were tasking my brain.

Jesus   went to His hometown and taught in the synagogue.  The people were amazed at His wisdom.  Then they realized He was the carpenter and they knew His siblings.  So they took offense at His teaching.

Jesus' reply was "only in His hometown, among His relatives and in His own home is a prophet without honor."  He only performed a few healings of sick people.  Jesus was amazed at their  lack of faith.

It's no coincidence that  these verses have stumped my thoughts on the last day of the year as I ponder the next year.  I am still enough of a legalistic that I refuse to skip any verses as I blog my way through the Gospel of Mark.  So, I have decided to let these verses frame my resolutions for 2016.

My vision statement for the coming year:

·         Wonder, not worldly. I don't want worldly doubts to cause me to miss God's work.  When the circumstances or the delivery method of God's grace and gifts appear common or familiar I resolve to acknowledge them as blessings.  If I've learned nothing else from our annual binge of Hallmark Channel "sappy" Christmas shows,  I do recognize the recurring theme that I have to pay attention to see the wonder.  It's there, I'm just not paying attention.

·         Fresh, not complacent. I want Jesus to be amazed at my faith, not the lack of it.  The statement in verse six is a sad verse.  Jesus shaking His head in disappointment at their blatant refusal to believe just because of their familiarity with Him.  I must resolve to keep my familiarity with Jesus, fresh and not complacent.

·         Resolve and See.   I will see God's miracles as His divine intervention in my ordinary life, not as just healing a few sick people.  I was troubled that Jesus could not perform miracles.  Couldn't He or wouldn't He?  It seems to me that Jesus, the Son of God,  God Incarnate, could do anything.  So perhaps He wouldn't to accentuate their lack of faith.  I think those few sick people who came to Jesus felt He had performed a miracle in their life.  God is at work all the time, all around me.  I'm the one not acknowledging His work. Again, I want to pay attention so I don't miss seeing a miracle because of my lack of faith.

I'm think I'm ready to close out on 2015 and look forward to 2016.  Happy New Year!