happy new year?

A friend wrote this, and I've asked permission to repost (haven't actually gotten permission yet, but I'm confident she won't mind, and when she gives permission, I'll tell you her name, if she's okay with that). I've been listless and weary since Christmas, and it only recently occurred to me that it was lead-up to a difficult anniversary for me. While pregnant, no less, and nearing what would have been the arrival of baby Maui. A triple threat! A good reason to move from bed to couch to fridge and back! To paint my toenails because I can still reach them! To get caught up on TV I'm a bit too embarrassed to confess I'm in the midst of! To let Blake play obscene amounts of LEGO Universe while trying very hard not to think very hard about much of anything!

And then I read this. It's just lovely, a word I'm quite fond of lately, but find a better word for it:

2011
We've run a good race, friends.

The trail of the year went through mud,
through forest & field;
over hills, down through valleys.
We stumbled & fell;
and skipped & laughed.
We stopped in fear,
but we always started again.
We didn't give up;
Through the dark night,
there was faith.
We looked through tears
with childlike eyes,
and You saw us.

You say:
"You've run a good race, friend.
Thank you for your faith.
Thank you for your love of Me.
I saw you this year,
I see you now.
I sing over you: Just believe, don't give up.
I'll give you new strength
for this new year."

It's a new year,
it's a new day.
There's Joy coming like a train.

And we sing a new song to start again.
We're following Yeshua, not following religion.
Pressing on toward the prize,
Onward to Zion.