The “NOT” New Year’s List 2012

On New Year’s Eve, 2009 I posted a story about our long-time family friends Mary Jane and Terry Martin who had a New Year’s tradition of  writing out their individual predictions for what they thought the next year would hold for each of them, seal them up and save them for exchanging and reading until the following New Year’s Eve to see how close they had come … and then start all over again for the next year’s predictions.

When I wrote about that in 2009, it was more of reflection for me of what I would not have ever predicted would happen in the prior 12 months. As I look back at this past year, it’s amazing to me the things that would NEVER have ended up on my prediction list for 2012 (had I actually sat down a wrote out a list on December 31, 2011). I would NOT have predicted… … that at 43 years old my family would grow by one more son as our family brought home beautiful bouncing teenage boy.
… that the Lord would be so faithful in stretching our income beyond what is actually possible, enabling us to provide for our expanded family.

… that despite our already stretched budget God would bless us so abundantly that we were able to buy a house 3 years ahead of schedule.

… that I would never once doubt or waver in my commitment to tithing … and then some.
… that Edward, who has resisted the idea of teleworking his job for years would finally give in to the concept and find that he loves it.

… that after pouring great effort into my blog for 3 years, posting 1 – 3 times a week, that I would let it collect dust for almost the whole year, posting only twice (this being the second).
… that there would be NO HOCKEY SEASON
… that after years of managing my Carpal Tunnel pain, that a brief encounter with a moving box would result in 2 months of unbearable pain, finally ending in the first of two surgeries (that I now wish I'd done years ago).
... that my oldest son, who had been committed to one career path for 5 or more years would suddenly change majors and would have to start the college search from scratch.

The list could probably go on and on which tells me it’s probably a wasted effort to try and predict the future. No matter how well you plan and no matter how much you think you know, God’s the only one who’s got a shot at penning that list. And as much as I’d love to rip His list open on January 2nd to see what this next year will hold, I know he’ll only let me see it one line at a time … and I’m okay with that.