There are always a few lists that go around at this time of year. There is the list of celebrity death and other notable passings. There is the list of New Years Resolutions and how to keep them. There is also the associated list of statistics for failure or success of these resolutions. And, there are the predictions for the coming year. Many Christians will make predictions of the end of the world. Just go to Youtube.com and search for “End of the world predictions”. There is another player for this coming year: the Mayans.

The Mayan Calendar predicts the end as occurring on 12-21-12. That is a pretty good looking date, but not better than 12-12-12, in my opinion. Anyway, how weird would it be if they were right? Now, to be fair, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the world ends, but there is some kind of transition from one World Age to another (anyone else singing “Aquarius” by the 5^th Dimension?)*.  Still, I would love to be by Harold Camping if it happened. I might say something like, “Harold, they only took one guess and it was hundreds of years ago. What do you think of that?”

These lists almost always get me thinking about my life and my faith. It isn’t always deep or meaningful. I just start thinking. Here are some of those thoughts.

1. I am going to die someday. What will I regret most? Will I be afraid? Will I have made a difference? I should probably be less afraid to die than I am.
2. I have no clue what will happen in the future but I think many people want me to be afraid of it. There is no shortage of people that predict doom and gloom coming our way if we don’t act now. This comes from all sectors of life: private and public, secular and religious. Fear is the favored mode of operation. Living above fear is a good goal for the next year.
3. There will be noteworthy people that will die this coming year. Some I will recognize and I will reminisce about the way they touched my life. Harry Morgan was one. I really like him in M.A.S.H. I never knew him, but he touched my life. Most of the people that will die (millions every year) will go unnoticed except to family and friends. Each one, however, bears the image of God and has incalculable worth to God and are therefore noteworthy.
4. Most of us live somewhere in the past or in the future. The future doesn’t exist and the past cannot be change. Really, none of it exists except for right now. It is best for me to move from present moment to present moment guided by God’s Holy Spirit. While it is nerve-wracking and exhilarating all at the same time, it is the best of all options.

What will you do, who will you become, and where will you make an impact in 2012?

*For your viewing pleasure: