My grandson loves to bounce, climb, jump, and fall. In fact, we kept an old mattress in our living room for the majority of the year so that he could do all of those things a little more safely on the mattress.
His favorite way to play on the mattress was to jump from the back of the couch to the mattress. Sometimes, he nailed his landing. Sometimes, not so much. When he didn’t nail it, he would pop right back up and exclaim, “Me okay!”, with an enormous grin on his face. He would then get right back on the couch and try again.
We are saying goodbye to 2022 today. 365 days that God gave us. 52 weeks of memories. Like my grandson, I often bounced, climbed, jumped, and fell during this past year. Sometimes, I nailed my landing. Sometimes, not so much.
And here is the thing, tomorrow begins a whole new cycle in 2023. A brand new year to bounce, climb, jump, and yes, even fall. I have no idea what the year will bring; but I know who is sifting this new year through His Sovereign hands. God knows exactly what I will face. He knows exactly which landings I will nail, and He knows exactly which landings I will not. It is because of Him that I have the ability to pop back up and exclaim, “Me okay!”, with a grin on my face. God provides a safe landing every time. He sent His own Son to conquer the cross just so that I would not feel the sting of death. Because of Jesus, I will not be defeated. I am victorious! Oh yes, “Me okay indeed!”.
I think our battle cry for the New Year should be just that: because of Jesus, we are okay! Because of Jesus, we are not afraid to get back up and try again, even after failure, disappointment, loss, rejection, or even sin. And especially when we don’t nail the landing.
So, what do you say? Will you claim it with me as we walk confidently into 2023? “Me okay!” Because of Jesus, “Me okay indeed!”
“So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God’s chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture: They kill us in cold blood because they hate you. We’re sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one. None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.”
Romans 8:31-39 MSG
Love, Faith and an Angel Dog 
As you know, this little habit of Levi’s became one of our fondest memories of our time with him in November. We even use the saying with each other now in our daily life, always brings a smile as we remember that special saying and the wonderful smile that always accompanied it. In our faith we are blessed to know Jesus always says “you are OK, I am right here beside you”.
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