Blog: Potential (12/23/21) | Greene County Daily World

As the year draws to a close, I want to thank you for reading and often offering encouraging words about my columns. It was heartwarming to know that my devoted mother, loving wife and caring daughter weren’t the only ones reading the nonsense Patti graciously allowed me to print in this journal. Over the coming year, we look forward to sharing additional articles with you which we hope will benefit our readers.

This article reflects my own opinions and I ask you not to regard them in any way as the opinions of the bank or its other employees.

In the Bible, a wise preacher wrote that the day of death is better than the day of birth (Ecclesiastes 7: 1).

It’s a peculiar idea because it goes against our natural understanding. We celebrate a birth and mourn a death. As I understand him, however, he is not talking about the joys or sorrows we receive from these events. Instead, he talks about potential. Each birth represents the beginning, all potential without fulfillment. When we die, we see the fulfillment of this potential in our life history.

Consider a promise you made last week. When the words came out, they only represented potential. “Yes, Mom, I’m going to take out the trash. “” Yes, my dear, I will wrap the presents. “Yes, son, I’m going to drive you to the basketball game on Friday night.” The promises express a potential that would be empty words of value without fulfillment.

At Christmas, many will celebrate the arrival of our Savior on this earth. What makes it beautiful is more than swaddling, the angelic host from above, gold or frankincense or myrrh. What makes it beautiful and welcoming is the perfectly realized potential. The promises he made, he fulfilled them. The actions of which he was spoken of, he completed them. The salvation offered by realized potential.

In just over a week, the schedule will run until 2022. It will be a day to celebrate a new slate full of potential. What can we each do in 2022 to better realize our potential? How wonderful is our risen Lord and perfect example. As we consider it in the days to come and our potential for good in the year to come, may I encourage each of us to dedicate ourselves to living 2022 to its full potential.

May we look back at the end of next year and say, “I have kept my word, accomplished a lot of good, and realized my potential.

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us; and we have seen his glory, the glory of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and of truth. For from his fullness we have all received and grace after grace. For the law was given by Moses; grace and truth were realized by Jesus Christ. (John 1: 14-17, NASB)

Joshua Riggins is the President of Farmers & Mechanics Federal Bank in Bloomfield, and is committed to providing customers with a reliable and knowledgeable banking experience.