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"Happy New Year!" we declare every Jan. 1. We are all familiar with the "dropping of the ball" in New York City. We have watched many years between pizza, chips, and mini naps! However, I did not realize how many unique drops there are in Pennsylvania. Dillsburg does a "Pickle Drop." That fits the name. McVeytown does an ice cream cake drop, and of course Mechanicsburg does a "wrench drop" – get it, mechanic and wrench? Lebanon does a "bologna drop" and Lewistown has done a "Hartley Chip drop." My own town, Burnham, where rail wheels are made, used to do a "railroad wheel drop."
These are all very fun. However, at times what the New Year drops into our lives is not fun at all. Illness, job loss, divorce, broken relationships, suffering and loss are definitely not as fun as an ice cream cake drop. Here are a few suggestions for facing the drops of a new year.
When life drops us
betrayal, loneliness
or abandonment
Amid life, we may experience the heartbreaking sense of betrayal that seems like death. That relationship we valued and counted on is now broken. Our dreams lie like shattered glass in front of us without a hope of putting it together. This may lead to a terrorizing sense of loneliness and a sense of abandonment.
Sadly, many have experienced this from family: Parents forsake children, spouses forsake each other, or children become estranged and siblings quit speaking. It feels like a huge ball dropped on your head. How do you navigate this?
Recognize God takes in the abandoned
Psalm 27:10
"For [even if] my father and my mother have forsaken me, the Lord will take me in." NIV
In times of intense loneliness and abandonment, remind yourself there is One who never abandons us but embraces us.
Humans may abandon and forget us, but God will never will
Sadly, even parents go against God given nature and abandon their own children like my friend Ric who was told as a preschooler, "you know I never wanted you." However, God writes our name on his palm, so he sees us constantly, and the boundaries of our life are always before his eyes.
Isaiah 49:15-16
"Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me." (ESV)
Jesus himself felt
abandoned
Matthew 27:46:
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" ESV
Friends hid and fled – even the closest ran away.
Yet, God's presence speaks into our sense of loneliness
or abandonment
"It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed." Deuteronomy 31:8, ESV
God comes near to our broken loneliness
and sits with us
Psalm 34:18 declares:
"The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." ESV
Not God "from a distance" as the pop song said but present now, sitting with us in our most painful moments.
When Life drops us illness, suffering or loss
Suffering does happen
"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." John 16:33, ESV
Jesus has overcome suffering
"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:37-39, ESV
That's a lot of stuff. But His love conquers it all.
When life drops us death itself
Death will come but so does comfort
"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." Psalm 23:4
God Himself walks beside us and gives us eternal hope! Never once do we have to travel alone.
This life passes quickly. I turned 60 last year and reflected on how quickly life goes by, yet I have this hope:
"So, we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." 2 Cor. 4:16-18, ESV
Unload your backpack of "stuff" to God
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
Matthew 11:28, ESV
After a long walk in the woods while hunting, I put down my guns, my pack, my blind and oh relief. My mother told me once "I have a mystery box. All the questions I have for God about life I put in that box then give that box to God." That's what Jesus was saying. Give it to me!
Allow yourself to be held by God and others
It's ok to ask for strength and admit weakness.
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10, EVS
Allow His word and promises to strengthen you.
"My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word!" Psalm 119:28, ESV
"This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life." Psalm 119:50
Allow others to
comfort you
2 Corinthians 1:3-6 declares:
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer." (ESV)
Allow yourself to be quieted by His love
"The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by his love; He will exult over you with loud singing." Zephaniah 3:17, ESV
As we enter the new year, I don't know what will drop in your world or mine. We personally had some interesting drops last year. However, I am confident of this – during suffering, loneliness, health crisis or even loss, God can be present. Like the softness of the winter snow, He quiets us with His sacred presence and love.
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Dan Hamilton is chaplain at Geisinger-Lewistown Hospital.