I'm Still Standing

One day, the owner of a parakeet named Chippie decided to clean the bird’s cage with a vacuum cleaner. When the owner was distracted by a phone call, the parakeet was sucked up by the vacuum cleaner. Chippie was stunned and covered with soot and dirt, so the owner held Chippie under a faucet. Then realizing that Chippie was wet and shivering, the owner used a blow dryer to blast Chippie with hot air. Chippie had been sucked up, washed up, and blown over, so the bird was in no mood to repeat phrases or to sing like before. This feeling of being sucked up, washed up, and blown over was common in the year 2023 for many people. Perhaps it was an emotional or spiritual struggle, a year of difficulty with family, friends, or neighbors, a temptation, an illness, or the loss of a loved one that made you feel sucked up, washed up, and blown over. We may feel sucked up, washed up, and blown over when two things happen in our lives: (1) stuff happens when we are in the right place at the wrong time; (2) stuff also happens when we are caught up in someone else’s agenda. No matter what you have been through this year, you are still standing God knew what you would face and got things ready for you to reach the last Sunday in 2023 still standing. You did not get to the last Sunday of 2023 by yourself, because God never left your side for a second in 2023. You won’t get through 2024 by yourself because God will overwhelm you with God’s blessings.