A long time ago, when I was in college, two friends and I decided that we wanted to spend a few weeks hiking in the mountains. We drove across the flat land of Minnesota and South Dakota until we finally made it to Glacier National Park. Very quickly, we three Wisconsin boys who had never seen mountains before loaded our packs, put on our hiking boots, attached our bear bells, and headed up a trail for a three-day hike. We trekked for hours up the steep trail toward Gunsight Pass, which would be the high point of our hike. When we got to the pass, we looked back, and I will never forget the sight.

From there we could see the miles of winding trail we had just walked. The view was amazing. From that vantage point, we could see things that we had seen along the way. We saw the pine-covered ridges we had crossed and ice-capped mountain peaks that had towered above us. We could see the crystal blue lake in a valley beyond a steep ridge. We looked back at the mountain stream we had crossed, where I slipped on a rock and had the coldest bath ever. We also saw details and sights that we had missed. We could see four mountain goats frolicking on the rocks below us that had been out of sight and the stunning waterfall coming off a melting glacier that had been hidden from our view. We could even look all the way back to the starting point of our hike.

From that vantage point, we could also look ahead. We turned around to see a breathtaking canvas of snow-covered mountain peaks, ice-cold blue mountain lakes, huge swaths of Alpine forests—and the trail that we would take, twisting and disappearing into the mist of the valleys below. We looked ahead in anticipation of what we would see, but we had no idea of exactly what we might experience.

Every so often, we all reach a point like that in our lives—a time not only to look back but also look ahead with anticipation. We could say that each new year is a time like that. From this vantage point, we look back and recall the countless blessings that God has given us in the past year. The blessings of his Word and sacrament that have strengthened and nourished our faith. The blessings of family and friends who have enriched our lives. The good times of birthday, anniversary, and holiday celebrations. Even the blessings of the failures, struggles, and disappointments that God used to bring us closer to him and that help us trust him more fully. The turning of the calendar page to the new year is a time to look back, reflect, and thank God for another year of his grace.

But it’s also a time to look ahead. We don’t know the details of what is waiting for us. Only God knows that. But what we do know is that the new year, like the old, will be another year of God’s grace, God’s protection, and God’s blessing. That view gives us every reason to look ahead not with worry or fear but with confidence and joy. After all, our God, our help in ages past, is also our hope for years to come. What a view!

Author: Mark Schroeder
Volume 112, Number 01
Issue: January 2025