By FRANK REMKIEWICZ
Columnist
Can anyone tell me where the year 2025 went? I blinked, and it is now 2026!
There is a John Denver song, Poems, Prayers, and Promises that talks about the days that pass quickly and that the nights are seldom long. How true that is. The line that always catches me, as a Christian, is, “there is still so much to do. So many things my mind has never known.”
The new year is almost like a prayer.
First, we reflect on everything we did in 2025. The birthday parties, the celebrations of the various holidays like Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Halloween, and Christmas. The old friends we met and the new friends we made. All the accomplishments we made at work and all the family interactions that made us feel so loved.
Second, as we wander through those memories, the not-so-good ones slip in. The people we hurt or maligned. I am not terribly proud of those people whose birthdays I ignored, the folks whom I intentionally left out of family celebrations, and those whom I ignored. The homeless person on the corner, whom I turned a blind eye toward, because that person did not “look” like I think they should.
Third, as I am tripping over my “oops,” I come to the “holy smokes!” You know, the opportunities that were right in front of us and we missed. These were the chances we had the chance to do some good, and we whiffed! The old clothes we threw away when we could have taken them to the Hope Chest. The time we went to the hamburger stand for lunch and realized we could have donated a buck or two to Second Harvest or Community Sharing. The obituary we may have read in the local paper and failed to say a prayer for that person and the family. The time we hid at work, we could spend that time with kids and family. Even the simple “could have waited to make that right turn” so that the people crossing the street could make it across safely, instead rushed through the intersection because we were in a hurry. The time when I could have paid someone a compliment and just “shined it on”.
Ah, take heart, 2026 is here! Think about all the new opportunities that abound. A new year, a new beginning, a new chance to repent, turn things around, and be better, do better.
To renew our love for all the people and all the activities in this new year. Strengthen and grow our love for God and our neighbor. We can commit to rearranging our schedules to make time for Sunday worship. The great thing about starting a renewed commitment to God is that God is waiting with open arms. God’s love for us is a great way to renew our commitment to our neighbor, because when asked, God will provide the energy and strength to do what we should do for our friends and neighbors. Start small, bring your neighbors’ trash cans back after trash day. Perhaps join a club like Soroptimists, Lions, or Kiwanis. How about saying hello to that person walking down your street? Invite the relative you haven’t spoken to in years to dinner. Volunteer at your child’s school. Take a little time out of your commute to pray for those whom you do not know but need God in their lives. Above all, stop and think about how to respond when someone lashes out in anger, be peaceful and loving. Do some or all of these things with humility, between you and your Creator. Most importantly, pray for yourself. Our loving God wants to be in a relationship with each of us. God is willing to help in any way we ask. All we have to do is ask, pray, and love.
We all tend to get busy and forget. What I will do as a reminder is, each month we can do a little check with this column. That way, we can all evaluate ourselves each month and renew our commitments.
May our loving Creator, our blessed Redeemer, and our Advocate grant you all peace and blessings in the year 2026.
Frank Remkiewicz is an area resident and contributes a monthly column focused primarily on faith and religion. He can be reached at fremkiewicz@gmail.com. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
