"Good-bye Old Year"

Good-bye, old year, we say good-bye,

You’re history and now we try,

To make peace with what makes us sigh,

   Good-bye, old year, good-bye.

We celebrate the good you brought,

And all the trials you gave that taught,

The wisdom that you tossed we caught,

    But now we say good-bye.

We’ll visit you in memory,

Relive some times that used to be,

But keep our visits brief, you see,

    ‘Cause we must say good-bye.

The time we spent we can’t get back,

But learn from when we got off track,

Grace was ours, we didn’t lack,

    God helps us say good-bye.

C’mon new year, we say hello,

Lord willing, we will blow and go,

The old year’s gone for good, we know,

    And we have said good-bye.

“But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14, NIV)

We cannot literally forget the past, nor should we. God uses our history to remind us of His faithfulness and teach us valuable lessons, even from our waywardness. But Paul’s message is that he does not allow his history to determine his destiny. The “forgetting” of which he speaks means the past does not steal his focus on today or God’s plan for tomorrow. His testimony was powerful, but he does not grind himself up on real or imagined regret. He has made peace with the past and is ready, willing and available to live for God today. That’s how it should be for all of us.

Lord, help us say good-bye to what was so we do not miss what is or what will be, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Mark Maggiori, used by permission. Thanks, Mark, and God bless you.