By many accounts, 2016 wasn’t a good year.
As I read and listen to various summaries of the year just passed, the general consensus appears to be don’t let the door hit you in the backside on your way out! Seems like most folks can’t wait to move on from what they perceive as a year filled with painful memories.
Iconic celebrities died. Upheaval and conflict. Fake news. And that whole election thing. Apparently it’s time to sweep 2016 under the rug, forget it, and move along.
Honestly, I might have shared those sentiments until Becky and I took a road trip during Christmas. As I listened to story after story of Good Riddance To 2016 my thoughts morphed from “Yeah, right!” to “Not so fast.”
Two long days of driving gave me time to be grateful.
I thought about the 18 people who became a community during 8 days of FRONT RANGE FREEDOM TOUR ’16. I thought about the 14,000 feet they climbed together, the sweat and tears and laughs we shared.
I thought about 99 cyclists who combined to crank more than 100,000 miles during the tour, the one-day Prologue, Elephant Rock, and other associated activities. I thought about more than 300 individuals and organizations who supported the project.
I thought about more than $46,000 we contributed to the kids at the HOME OF HOPE, how much difference that makes in their lives, how much God multiplies those dollars and the work of the staff at the HOME OF HOPE.
And when I think about those amazing people and their generosity, it’s kind of difficult to kick 2016 to the curb. Gratitude has a way of changing perspective, of making what I have enough. Gratitude reminds me to trust.
Our road trip reminds me that gratitude doesn’t just happen. Gratitude is intentional. It needs to be practiced.
It strikes me, as I think back on 2016, that practicing gratitude is more an action than a feeling. I choose to respond gratefully, to look for things for which I’m grateful rather than passively waiting around to see if I happen to feel grateful.
I need to work on that. How about you?
I’m okay with moving into 2017 with anticipation and excitement. I’m just not sure I want to toss 2016 and its gifts under the bus quite so quickly.
Except for the election thing. I’m glad that’s over.
[…] recaps and New Year’s resolutions are the big thing. Yesterday I talked about remembering to be grateful. I thought of some other things I want to […]