At the end of a year
Last week I quoted a poem by Howard Thurman, a great pastor and theologian. Here is his celebration at the end of a year.
Blessings at Year's End
Howard Thurman
I remember with gratitude the fruits of the labors of others, which I have shared as a part of the normal experience of daily living.
I remember the beautiful things that I have seen, heard, and felt - some as a result of seeking on my part, and many that came unheralded into my path, warming my heart and rejoicing my spirit.
I remember the moments of distress that proved to be groundless and those that taught me profoundly about the evilness of evil and the goodness of good.
I remember the new people I have met, from whom I have caught glimpses of the meaning of my own life and true character of human dignity.
I remember the dreams that haunted me during the year, keeping me mindful of goals and hopes which I did not realize but from which I drew inspiration to sustain my life and keep steady my purposes.
I remember the awareness of the spirit of God that sought me out in my aloneness and gave to me a sense of assurance that undercut my despair and confirmed my life with new courage and abiding hope.
I too am thankful for the year that is past. And for the conversations here I have had with believers and with the many open atheists and agnostics who are on the same search for meaning and beauty, which is my quest.