“I don’t want a “new” year… can’t I have a gently used 1992 or 2005 instead?” I recently heard this statement while scrolling through social media, and I feel it deep in my bones! It seems like we come to the end of the year and think, “This year has been awful—next year has to be better! Bring on the new!” And then the new year brings its own sort of… “interesting” … and we end the year ready to leave the last year in the past, and dreaming of all the wonderful possibilities held in the next 365 days.

After all that 2025 brought, it’s tempting to want to forget it and look forward to the future.

But what if we didn’t? What if instead of focusing on the future, we pause and reflect on the past, looking with “God-eyes?” Searching for the moments of hope and joy in the midst of the struggle and chaos?

When I do that, I see a year that showed us that our values aren’t just something we say, but how we live our faith at Brecksville UMC.

We are a people who worship honestly—sometimes laughing and celebrating together (Easter Sunday, VBS recap Sunday); sobbing, lamenting, and holding one another close (the Sunday after Easter, All Saints Sunday); or gathering to worship God and connect with one another while the gray sky permeates our mood.

We can make anything—packing 35,000+ meals, decorating the church, the BUMC Flea, unloading a semi-full of pumpkins—into a joyful gathering!

We desire lifelong learning, no matter our age: adults exploring different ways to connect with God through Ignatian Spiritual Practices, kids seeing God in nature during Summer Sprouts, and seven youth confirming their faith and saying, “Yes, I want to follow Jesus!”

We discover new ways of courageous inclusion, like our TRANSforming Church Culture training and Allyship training, and serving gluten, allergen, and alcohol-free communion elements.

And determined service is the heartbeat of who we are: making and delivering meals for Cleveland’s unhoused each week, packing 120 Valentines bags for Ronald McDonald House patients (an idea from one of our kids!), and sending a team to North Carolina to help with hurricane clean up.

This year was tough—there’s no getting around that. And yet, God’s hope, joy, and goodness were present.

I wonder what you would discover if, before completely immersing yourself in the new year, you paused to reflect on the last year, looking with God-eyes. My guess is you’d find God’s loving fingerprints throughout the past 365 days.

– Pastor Heidi