Looking forward or looking back

Tomorrow will be my last Sunday morning message of 2007. It is a time to look back and reflect and look forward and expect. What were the best lessons learned in 2007? I love it (please insert sarcasm here) when the news shows attempt to list the "top stories" for the year. Isn't it amazing that the top stories are always stories that they reported and covered thoroughly. Our discernment of what is significant and what is not takes a beating in our culture. Are we sensitive to God's assessment of the significant moments in the past year? It is easy to miss the greatest moments of the year if we fail to consider the year through God's lens. The "big events" of last year do not necessarily impress God. Instead, God's greatest moments in our lives may have occurred without much fanfare. Were there moments when you were able to see Jesus in the eyes of a child? There may have been moments when we extended kindness to someone and God used that kindness to bring about healing inside a bruised and damaged heart. I believe the moments we celebrate fuel our expectations for the New Year.