The good with the bad

I spent some time today looking at a few different photo galleries that claimed to be the "Best of 2007." Some were all of celebrities, some were all sports, others were shocking war images, natural disasters, and disease. Most of them seemed to all lean one way or another. Then I stumbled onto a set of Reuters Galleries and one in particular really managed to cover a lot of the good things that happened last year, and a lot of the not so good things; a good mix. It got me thinking about a few conversations I've had of late with people who can't manage to see any good in the world. But it also got me thinking about some other conversations I've had with folks who seem to completely block out the bad things. I think what made me smile looking back at this year was looking at the combination of the two. So here's what I saw in 2007...

I saw the end of my time at Bethel...but I saw the beginning of what looks to be an amazing journey at GCC.

I saw Notre Dame have a horrible season...but Ohio State had a fantastic one...and so did the Red Sox.

I saw a ton of horrible movies...but I had a blast with my friends sitting around making fun of them.

I saw a writers strike that ended my friends usual evening of watching T.V. together...now instead, some of them go to church, and the others go out to coffee and talk for hours.

I saw some prominent christians make some bad choices that got a lot of press coverage...but I also saw HUNDREDS of people get baptized inside a minor league ball park

I saw a bit of a let down movie about the beatles...then I saw my church take that same idea and whip it into shape and use it to tell people the story of Jesus.

I saw dropout rates in our local schools get pretty bad...but then I saw MY CHURCH open an alternative school in the heart of it all, and a food distribution center, and even more to come.

I walked through a trailer park with Corey and met a man who didn't know how he was going to make it through the winter without work...then I saw 800 people show up to load some boxes, and thousands show up to unload those boxes of food and care items and take them to places like that all over our area.

I saw a friend and a visitor from Switzerland get in a pretty nasty car accident...but then I saw that event turned around to show our Swiss friend what the body of Christ is all about.

I saw a flood destroy most of my hometown...but then I saw my town, my church, and most of all, my family become the hands and feet (and wallet, and car, and home) of Jesus in helping these people get their lives put back together.

...and in that, I saw my older brother struggling to find a great job....but that kept him at home during a time that my family and my community really needed him around to help.

I saw a tornado rip apart the town where I did my student teaching...but then I saw a line of aid workers backed up for miles and a call to our area churches saying "please don't send any more." That line is still working

I saw a young girl who wasn't prepared to be a mother...but then I saw some friends of mine who wanted to be parents given a chance to do just that.

I saw close friends of mine who thought they couldn't have any more children...but managed to do just that.

I saw a friend take a risk and move away from his friend...but since then he's gone on rock tours, worked on movie sets, and now gets to travel the country raising awareness for a organization that brings aide to children in Uganda.

I saw another friend lose her father...but then I watched her take that moment and remind herself and everyone around her how important it is to love well TODAY. No regrets.

With all that, I don't want to make it sound like I know what the good is in everything that happens, because there are definitely some things that happened this year that still have me scratching my head ranging from war and terrorism to the dollar theater being two dollars and gas being three. But there's been a whole host of wonderful things too, some good friends getting engaged, some getting married, two weeks of camp with tons of middle schoolers deciding to follow Christ, students going on missions trips to serve just because they know they need to, people walking through a doorway and joining the family of God, and people committing their time and money to help our church take it's next steps towards growth. I'll leave you with the photo gallery of what I saw in 2007. I think you'll see more good than bad.