Dear January,

You are a hard month for me.

Seems like you are dark. Seems like you want me to be sad after the holidays. It seems like you try and stifle the light in my life.

January, I learned we can’t sponsor her anymore. 17 years we have sponsored her. How do I reconcile this?

January, you often take me down in my spirit. I am often most tired, and the most sad during this month.  Thank the good Lord I travel now, but January, you are the hardest month of the year for me.

However, I need to offer you a bit of praise after bashing you so much.

First, thank you for the snow.

You did offer me a sense of quiet, and undeniable beauty this year. More than I can remember for a long time.

Second,  you offered me time to reflect, and time to think about the things that are most important to me. Third, You offered me time to reflect on the most important stories of my life this last year.

Thanks for offering me time to look back, and time to look ahead.  Each of these pictures have a very important story for me.

God knows me, and He loves me. When I look at the pictures of my last year, I am thankful for these stories.

January, you are the beginning of a new year and the reflection of the last year.I cannot control what is ahead, I can only trust.  I cannot control what has happened in the past, only give thanks.

So January, lets move on, and lets see what is next.

Love,

Patricia