Saturday will bring us the final day of 2022. I don’t know about you, but I will be glad to bid this year adieu. I know some who had wonderful years, folks who got married, babies that were born, milestones that were achieved, and other great blessings were had this past calendar year. I don’t wish to rain on anyone’s parade; if 2022 was great for you, then I am happy for you that it was.

As for me, I recall starting the year with a very specific resolution. I told myself I would find the good in each day and not let one or two bad moments sour the whole day. I resolved to make 2022 a year where I would count my blessings each day at a time. As it turned out, the Devil himself had plans of his own for me: He resolved to make this the hardest, most difficult year I’ve had in my life. I’m sorry to say he succeeded at his goal better than I did…at least, he did for most of the year.

Here’s my chart for the year, something I’ve done for the past several years…

The first thing that jumps out at me when I look at it in its totality is, even though the year—overall—was the worst ever for me…there is a LOT of red and yellow (great and good) to be found. In fact, 2022 had 172 great days, 151 good days, 28 okay days, only 11 bad days, and only 3 terrible days. On the one hand, you might think I am exaggerating by calling this the worst ever, but I can recall every terrible day and why it was so, and those are days I would never care to relive in a million years. What’s sad is how the great days (which, I’m happy to say were overflowing as the year drew to a close) are less particular in my mind. I see that as a failure on my part and one I intend to rectify with next year’s resolution: I want to be able to pray with thanksgiving—and with specificity—for each good and great day I have in 2023.

The first nine or ten months of 2022 were indeed the hardest of my life, but even in the darkness there were many reasons to rejoice and many blessings to count. Besides, a year has more than nine or ten months in it. 2022 had twelve months, and not all months are created equal. This year’s lows were very low, but the highs, most of which came as the year drew to a close, were high enough to outweigh the misery that preceded it. The delight that has persisted in our household for the past several weeks is greater than the misery, depression, terror, bitterness, and angst that lingered like a dark cloud over our home for the first 3/4 of the year.

During the worst of 2022, as the Devil threw at me (and my family) our most grueling hardships and challenges, I found myself praying more than I ever have. As a result, I grew closer to God than I was in 2021. As a result, the Devil eventually fled from our household the way darkness flees from a candlelight. I intend to keep praying, keep being positive, keep maintaining a house that the Devil wants no part of, and keep counting my blessings and naming them one by one.

This year was a challenging one for me, but I’m reminded of the closing words to my favorite poem:

God is not dead nor does He sleep. The wrong shall fail; the right prevail, with peace on earth, goodwill to men.

~ Matthew