Staunton Star - Times - Published in the Interest of the Staunton Community for Over 143 Years

With a drizzle of rain, the old year ends leaving behind for us to deal with a slate of splatters that has to be stored away in the treasure chest of time. We cannot go back and change the marred and disfigured blotches which now lay upon the days given to us for wonderful things. What is done is done, but praise the Lord, he gives us grace days to create something good, say something kind, and see something beautiful. Grace days are the extra hours of time our God throws in for new chances. My David always called the years after his first heart by-pass his grace days. And every morning was as if suddenly he had been given that precious gift of time to spend for “New Life” things. It somehow put a glow in his heart.

As the New Year enters on the trace of the drizzling rain, we look for the sun resting behind the clouds, the spring that will bury the winter, and the peace that will bring us to a brighter day. There is a familiar thought from an anonymous writer which says, “I believe in the sun, even when it’s not shining. I believe in the Love even when I feel it not. I believe in God, even when he is silent.” And so I close, bidding you each a Happy New Year, because I believe that every day you are given is one of God’s grace days. Your gift for the time. May it be a time you will love to remember. God Bless.

Rev. Richardson (ret.)