A New Year

Editor, Times-Union:
I reflect back on 2025, and so many blessings. Faith, family, friends, health, time. Spending it well, or at least making an effort to spend it well. So much to be thankful for. Looking also forward to the beginning of a new year.
God help us all to be thoughtful, humble, generous. Being generous doesn’t always imply giving away money, sometimes the best gift is the gift of yourself. The gift of presence.
This year has started off with struggles between law enforcement and people protesting. The same struggles we have seen over and over. Ephesians 6:12 tells us, “For we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, and against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirts in the heavenly places.”
Our world is an angry place. Some want to keep fear and anger in front of us all day every day. I was reading Psalm chapters 33, 34 and 35 today. This psalm was written thousands of years ago, and yet human beings were behaving the same then as today. David is being wrongly accused. Psalm 35:21 says, “They shout, ‘Aha! Aha! With our own eyes we saw him do it.’” David’s reply was in verse 22, “O Lord, you know all about this. Do not stay silent. Do not abandon me now, O Lord.”
King David knew who the source of peace was. Although not a perfect man or king - he was humble enough to acknowledge his sin and ask for forgiveness. A good example for me. Those who shouted, “Aha! Aha!” against David were not agents of chaos. There are people who want to destroy our country. They pay people to protest and encourage them to shout and act against the police.
I pray for peace for our nation every night. The answers to our hu man failures aren’t found by looking to government programs - seek God. I hope to be the change I wish to see in the world.
“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” - Mother Teresa.
Julie Runnells
Warsaw