The Year That Was

Most of us are taking a brief glance over our shoulder as the last remnants of 2021 slip away. Already, 2022 looms on the horizon with an avalanche of worries threatening to break over us. But not quite yet.
I’m grateful for the year gone, for the countless blessings that came my way, many of which I saw, most of which I didn’t. Yet seen, or not, I know that the gracious hand of God was lavishing grace on me in Christ the likes of which it will take an eternity to comprehend.

I’m grateful too for this little corner of the internet. I’m grateful for the readers of The Ploughman’s Rest who have taken the time to message me with an encouraging word, or to share the way that my words are spurred them on in faith. When I began this endeavour, to be honest, I never imagined that it would grow to where it is today. A quick glance back over the stats page on my site tells me that people from a total of 101 countries accessed my site this year. That’s a humbling number. The words crafted at my desk in a small town in country New South Wales, Australia, found a way into the living rooms of 1000’s of homes all over the world. That is a reality that weighs heavy on me, a stewardship of words is no small thing. Whether you run a blog, or post an update on Social Media, your words travel and make a mark. That’s worth meditating on. The stewardship of words matters, not only for our own reputation, but more significantly, for the reputation of the one we represent—Jesus.

Thank you for those of you who read, liked, and shared my posts. Thank you to those who bookmarked my site and visit regularly. The growth here is due to the kindness of countless readers who put wind in my sails. I want to especially thank Tim Challies, who in spite of the deep trial of his own loss and grief, continues to invest in other writers through personal encouragement and championing their work. Tim is a blessing to many, and has certainly been so for me.

I’m always intrigued to look back and find the most read post over the last year. In 2021 that post was a personal reflection I wrote on the hope we find when walking through dark valleys. It seems it hit a nerve, with views far ahead of anything else I wrote. If you missed it, you can read it here.
Nearly There

I’m not sure of the future for this site, I’d like to think I can keep writing, keep crafting words that might help strengthen weary pilgrims. I’ve had my own battles to face this year, at times wondering if I should lay my pen aside, and maybe one day I will. But for now, if the Lord gives us days to labour in, I will continue to find new ways to say the only thing worth saying—the grace of God towards us in Christ is enough.