The first time I entered the new year in church

For many years, I entered the New Year at home.

Nothing dramatic just staying up until midnight, watching the ball drop on TV, maybe a countdown in the background while everyone checked their phones. Some years I was asleep before midnight. Other years I was awake but quiet, reflecting, wondering what the next year would bring. It was familiar. Safe. Uneventful.

This year was different.

For the first time, I entered the New Year in church. I was surrounded by people praying, singing, and giving thanks. Instead of noise and countdowns, there was reflection. Instead of champagne glasses clinking, there were bowed heads and gratitude. I found myself thanking God not just for what I hope will happen this year, but for getting me through the last one.

It made me think about how differently people step into a new year. Some people welcome it in bars, counting down with strangers, drinks in hand. Some are at house parties, packed into living rooms, music blasting. Some are downtown watching fireworks, freezing in the cold. Some are working night shifts. Some are at home with family. Some are alone. Some are in church, like I was.

And honestly? None of those places make someone better or worse.

We all cross into the new year carrying different stories, losses, hopes, and fears. What matters isn’t where you were when the clock struck midnight, it’s what you’re carrying in your heart as the year begins.

So whether you entered the new year in a bar, a church, your living room, a hospital, or your car on the way home from work, I hope this year brings you peace. I hope it brings healing where you’re tired, clarity where you’re confused, and hope where you’ve been holding on by a thread.