Reflections 1/1/21: Each new year I try to come up with a word that captures my theme, my frontier for that year. This year I am choosing the word “teachable.” I couldn’t quite zero in on that until I read Sarah Young’s devotional this morning. “COME TO ME with a teachable spirit, eager to be changed.” BINGO! Yesterday I was listening to my pastor’s Christmas sermon about Jesus being born “in the days of Herod,” and all the suffering that entailed. Not unlike our butcherous pandemic or my corrosive cancer. His point was that adversity is the most powerful tool for transformation! That is, IF, we seek God’s Presence and Guidance in the midst of it all. Teachability. Hmmm… requires calm acceptance of the challenge. A humility that asks, “what now?” instead of “why me?” Perhaps even a curiosity of “what You are up to God?” And a willingness to stay the course to ferret out that answer. Given the swords of Damocles (cancer and blood clots) hanging over my head, I definitely fit the bill for “living in the days of Herod.” BUT You are greater than all the Herod’s life can throw at me, so sit me down at my desk and teach away. I may be a bit dense at times, and have to take retests to pass the pop quizzes, but I am at least aspiring to be a willing student! TEACHABLE! Bring on 2021!