Looking back at 2017

One of my favourite photos of the year, snapped with my phone on the
way into Manila.

I'm always fascinated reading my "Looking ahead to the new year" post at the end of the year. "Looking forward to 2017" is here.

Everything that I anticipated at that time came to pass, most of it was related to our boys. I even said that this year should be devoid of "planned" drama. That was true, if you don't count the sporting triumphs and graduations. (My definition of "planned drama" is our 2018 . . . more about that next year.)

At times this is how 2017 has felt.

One of the things I did this year: served CAJ by helping run Thrift Shop.
I wouldn't do it, though, if it weren't fun. These people are
part of the diverse community helps keep me afloat here in Japan.

Another favourite photo. Taken in Shizuoka.

The biggest unexpected of the year was our field director passing away due to cancer. Aside from the grief that came with that, there were all sorts of consequences for the field, and for us, that are not going to completely disappear for some time.

For me personally, another big unexpected was a big change in my role with OMF Japan. I've played a much bigger part in OMF's website and social media push than I could have imagined this time last year.

The highlights of my year centred around our eldest son: his triumphant wrestling season, culminating in victory at the Far East tournament in Korea in February, and his graduation. My parents joining us for that was special too. I can tell you that sometimes it felt like we'd never get this boy to that milestone in his life. And here we are now, preparing to send him off to university in just five weeks!

Spiritually
Spiritually it has felt like a good year for me. In the midst of everything going on, in January I had a watershed moment, writing about it in this post: A Coffee Date and, buoyed by that, took time to do this later in the year. 


As I go along in this missionary life I'm learning more about how to stay afloat, even as we said more of the perennial goodbyes to friends.

Blogging
Blogging-wise, it's been my least productive year, this being my 235th post, only slightly below 2015 at 242 posts. But every other year, except the first year I began blogging, 2009 (and I began my blog in March), I've written more than 300 posts per year. I think the main reason for the slow-down this year is because I have been terribly busy due to that job-change I mentioned above. Also, because I've been administering another blog since July and managing social media for OMF Japan since September, my posting rate has dropped even further, in fact this month I've been almost as quiet as July 2015, the month we transitioned back to Japan and had internet issues, but I think that is as much needing a very quiet break as anything.

Two of my most viewed posts this year were (to my surprise):

• Eating healthily
• My TCK ministry?

Travel
I flew overseas twice during the year. Once to Korea and once to the Philippines.  It's 2½ years since we were in Australia  the longest since our first term in Japan (when we did 3½ years). 

During the summer we did a driving tour up the west coast for a bit, then camped at a lake in the middle, and over to the east coast. We also travelled down to Shizuoka for a couple of nights in November.

We camped only three times this year. Once in March, once in July, and once in October. Two of those three camps were with another family. I would have liked more, but for family harmony, that's all we've done. It's funny, though, because people keep asking me about camping. We've become renowned campers, despite only sleeping under canvas less than seven nights this year.

New "things"
Apart from a new component to my job (that involved learning a lot of new things), the new things in my year (that I can remember) included:

• having a high school graduate in my house who wasn't studying, but rather working part-time (and thus had money)
• having above son apply to study at university in Australia (and get an acceptance)
• co-leading an international committee to organise the festivities surrounding our son's graduation
• going away for two nights for our 20th anniversary . . . and leaving the boys at home on their own
• being more intentional about learning Japanese (started an online course)
• Wednesday Words has been a fun thing I've done on my Facebook page since May. We've learnt lots of new words and concepts related to different usages of English.
• I've begun an Udemy course on editing. We'll see if I get it finished in 2018!
• watching our new high schooler (middle son) get ribbons at his track finals. He got one at cross country too!
• riding in a jeepnee and a motorised tricycle in Manila.
• a new camera

That seems like enough reflecting to me. There really is too much in a year to succinctly write it down: good times with friends, down times, special times, sick and exhausted times, frustrated times, tears and anger. They were all there. Some too private to share here, others aren't as painful now that time has passed. Some have left their scars.

But as our pastor said in his sermon this morning I want to give thanks to God for all his blessings that he's given in 2017. Too many blessings to recount—air to breathe, family to love and be loved, food to eat, shelter to dwell in, water to drink, meaningful work to do, etc, etc. But most of all, I have the knowledge that no matter what happens, he will never leave or forsake me (Deut 31:8: "The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”). But above that, our God is so great this is said about him in Isaiah 40:

Who can fathom the Spirit of the Lord,
    or instruct the Lord as his counselor?
Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him,
    and who taught him the right way?
Who was it that taught him knowledge,
    or showed him the path of understanding? (vs 13 & 14)

So, even when things happen that don't make sense to me, that, in fact, seem the opposite of what should have happened, God is still in control. And, though I may question and wonder, ultimately I just need to trust.

What do you think? What sort of year has 2017 been for you? Can you share your biggest unexpected? Or your most surprising new "thing"?

Tomorrow, or maybe Wednesday, I'll get to looking ahead at 2018 (there's lots in the diary already).