Someone Is Missing

Yes, it’s time.  For the past 6 years, I have been using what is called Word-of-the-Year as a spiritual focal point.  And, up until this year, I’ve known what that word would be a month or so ahead of time.  I have looked forward to creating the visuals and changing the passwords that incorporate this word into my daily routines. The list through 2019:

• Deeper (Go Deeper)
• Shema (Listen – be aware - Act)
• Seek
• Enough
• Reliance (Trust)
• Sequence (Ones and Zeros)

But it wasn’t until this morning, that I ‘discovered’ this word for 2020.  As you can see, sometimes the words need explanation and become phrases. But, I have never felt that I was breaking the rules by using a string of words provided they fully manifest the point of the word.

I’ve been in Cincinnati for nearly 3 years now and it’s done things to my relationships.  Some are stronger, others have been diluted, a few have been repaired and several, both good and bad, have been destroyed.  Of course, I can’t point to distance as the only reason, but it does play a part.

Generally speaking, I’ve been hearing about the relationships that God desires us to experience with Him and with His children frequently.  That isn’t all that unusual, of course.  However, after watching a movie last night just before bed and yet again the very first thing this morning in a sermon, I heard, “Someone is missing”.

The movie was “What They Had”.  It’s a story of Alzheimer’s and the disruption it causes families and the love that surrounds the chaos.  The line that stopped me in my tracks was spoken by a wife amid this horrific disease saying, “Someone is missing”.   Her husband had died a couple of days ago and although she doesn’t remember ‘him’, she misses, him someplace deep inside.

Even when we have full cognitive abilities, there are still those who are missing.

We’ve gone our separate ways.  We’ve decided their political views are incompatible and have discarded them.  We’ve concluded they have become too much work and we walked away.  We’ve failed to love and they’ve left.  We’ve failed to trust and bonds have broken.

Even when we have full cognitive abilities, there are still those who are missing.

Through our own selfishness, we have failed in reaching out to others.  We have decided that our needs are more important than those of another.  We’ve walked away from opportunities to serve because of time; the commitment of an hour or two.  We’ve not spared even the moment it takes to smile at someone crossing our path. We have chosen to add these people to our someone-is-missing list before they could even become a someone-is-present.

So this year, I will remember that someone is missing.

In some cases, I will continue to grieve this loss and pray.  In other circumstances, I will work towards strengthening or repairing.  In new ways, I will look to increase relationships by being fully present and aware of those crossing my paths whether I’ve seen them daily for years or just this one time.


Happy New Year



Side note:  A corollary of sorts as it certainly applies to my new word/phrase of the year.

Last week, a point was made encouraging us to be aware of our surroundings.  It was an effort to point out that things appearing to be mundane, ordinary, or well-worn should be examined again with a more critical and open mind.  It was to remind us that Jesus came for all of us.  With that in mind, did anyone notice someone new in the manger scene?  Or, perhaps that picture is so common as to be unworthy of a second look.