Guten Rutsch!

Last week everyone was wishing us a “Frohe Weinnachten.”  But this week with Christmas past and the New Year coming we have been hearing new German greeting.   People have been saying,  “guten rutsch. “ Others have said it in English, wishing that I would have a “good slide into the new year.”    I didn’t know what that meant so I "googled" it.  What I found is that it can mean “Have a good start to the new year.”  In other words, I guess, this greeting can mean “may you slide easily into the new year.”   However I found another explanation that I like even better.  To wish some a “guten rutsch” is to wish them a “good journey in the new year.”

That got me to thinking about our journey this past year.  There were many expected stops along the way.  When 2014 started I knew we would be completing and dedicating the new community  Life Center at Lamb of God. I knew that 2014 would see the birth of 2 new grandchildren – Kellan to Jon and Dora… John Wayne to Bethany and Jason.  I was pretty sure that sometime during the year we would journey to Colorado for our annual vacation. 

But there were also a lot of things I didn't know when 2014 started.  I didn’t know that we would be expecting not just two but in fact three grandchildren.  The third will be born tomorrow to Ben and Anna.  I didn’t know that Steven would spend three months in Germany on an internship.   I really didn’t know that by the end of the year Linda and I would be living in Germany.  I was expecting to be going out every day in the warm sunshine of Texas, to be getting in my pickup to head to Lamb of God.  I didn’t know I would be bundling up like this every day to go out in the snow for the 2 mile walk and ride to Trinity in Frankfurt.   

But that’s the wonderful when you walk your journey through this life following Jesus.  I imagine that when Jesus came to those fishermen by the sea of Galilee and said, “Come, Follow Me!” that they had no idea where this journey would take them.    They didn't know they would see the blind receive their sight, the lame be made to walk and the dead raised.  They didn't know that following Jesus would lead them to His crucifixion and then three days later.  They didn't know that following Jesus would make them world travelers…going into all the world to spread the good news that God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son.    What did they know?  That they would be following Him and He would be with them all the way.

That’s what we know for sure too.  This past year dedicating the new community life center, going on the mission trip with the Lamb of God youth, greeting and expecting new grandchildren, moving to Germany, starting a ministry anew with the wonderful people of Trinity – in the expected and the unexpected – the one thing we have known for sure… is we were following Jesus and He has been walking with us. 

As we get ready to start our journey through 2015 – with all the expected and unexpected that this new year promises to you and me – we do so answering the call of our Savior Jesus to “Come Follow Me!”  No matter what the journey may hold – easy or hard, sad or joyful – we know it will be a good journey because we follow Him and He walks with us.  So to all of you… Guten Rutsch.”  “Have a good slide into the new year.”