By Les Ferguson, Jr.
Columnist

One of my wife’s cousins said he had Fluvid over Thanksgiving. I understood thoroughly what he was saying. The combination of Covid and the Flu might best describe our Christmas holiday this year.

I told a couple of friends that during the worst of my sickness, I wasn’t sure I would live, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to. All in all, we had a few weeks of that nastiness in residence. I was the last beneficiary – at least, we thought. As it turns out, two of our kids have since been afflicted.

Thankfully, the last vestiges of this pestilence are slowly fading away. I expect by the time you read this, three days into the new year, all will be well—at least in that regard.  

But today, as I write this, the sun is shining brightly. Our house is filled with light. And as far as I can see, there isn’t a cloud in the sky. It’s cold, but the brisk air is refreshing.

And I’m thankful. I’m grateful for so much. I can’t list every blessing in a short column like this, but family, church, and our community are high on my list. None of these are perfect; each has its own set of shortcomings and difficulties. But today, who is counting? Not this guy.

I am blessed – we are blessed. And before you focus on what is problematic in your life, let me remind you of a beautiful truth: the sun is shining!

John Denver often sang about how sunshine on his shoulders made him happy. One part of his song had this to say, “If I had a tale that I could tell you, I’d tell a tale sure to make you smile. If I had a wish that I could wish for you, I’d make a wish for sunshine all the while.”

I like that. Too often, the darkness of our world gets all the press. We should focus more on the light in 2024. Wouldn’t that be a good thing?

I leave you with these words from the Old Testament book of Numbers:

“‘The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’ (6:24-26)

Happy New Year!