The new year is still young and there are still 355 days ahead of us in 2026. What a great thought if we look at it as a new beginning. It reminds me of how powerful and beautiful the different seasons of the year can be.

The year begins right in winter. While Bermuda has a very mild winter, for some of us it still might be challenging with the shorter and colder days.

Our neighbours on the East Coast of the United States and in Europe actually have a taste of real winter these days with lots of snow and freezing weather. The world seems to sleep under the white blanket.

Still, January often arrives with a sense of possibility. It is an invitation to reflect on where we have come from and to visualise where we want to go.

So it is not just about resolutions, it actually is about new beginnings, a sense of fresh hope, and making choices, and above all trusting in God’s remarkable ability to help us and to grow us.

At times we might not see the bigger picture yet, however, we still can trust in the transformation of faith that comes with steady, compassionate consistency, not perfection. Every journey, even the longest one, starts with a single step. Consistency turns those steps into a journey.

We are so used to instant gratification that we forget easily that growth and development need time and that everything in life will pass through different seasons or stages.

On Thursday I had a chance to listen to a youth presentation at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club by Cole Brauer, the first American woman to sail single-handedly in a race around the world (besides other great accomplishments in sailing), finishing second.

I have no clue about sailing, I must admit, and then I learnt that she did neither until she was at college in Hawaii. She did have a lot of experience with the water and other kinds of boats, but sailing was new to her. But she was eager to learn, consistent and did not give up.

She also surrounded herself with others who could help her learn and develop skills. For me, one takeaway was that we all have possibilities that can develop into something big, and that success often is not a straightforward road, but there are difficulties and challenges and sometimes real obstacles in the way.

In addition, things and circumstances are always changing, or as The Byrds sang in 1965: Turn! Turn! Turn! That famous song written by Pete Seeger a few years earlier has its lyrics borrowed from the Bible from Ecclesiastes 3. Some of us may even be able to sing along when it comes on the radio — for the others here are the lyrics:

[Chorus] To everything (Turn, turn, turn)

There is a season (Turn, turn, turn)

And a time to every purpose under heaven

A time to be born, a time to die

A time to plant, a time to reap

A time to kill, a time to heal

A time to laugh, a time to weep

[Chorus]

A time to build up, a time to break down

A time to dance, a time to mourn

A time to cast away stones

A time to gather stones together

[Chorus]

A time of love, a time of hate

A time of war, a time of peace

A time you may embrace

A time to refrain from embracing

[Chorus]

A time to gain, a time to lose

A time to rend, a time to sew

A time of love, a time of hate

A time of peace, I swear it's not too late

Ecclesiastes is part of the so-called “wisdom literature” of the Old Testament. It is a collection of proverbs, sayings and common sense. The verses don’t condone all those times, but just acknowledge that those times may come. Wisdom then is to find a way to manoeuvre through the challenges and obstacles, and make use of the possibilities along the way and keep hope.

It teaches us that we cannot control all circumstances. There might be times when we have to adopt a lot, have to grieve loss and experience difficulties or even tragedy.

Life is not a straight path. Things may change, sometimes for better, and unfortunately sometimes for worse. This wisdom even found its way into our wedding vows. When a couple marries they declare they want to live together “ … for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health …”

Another important takeaway from the young sailor was, for me, that we don’t have to achieve everything alone, not even a single-handed sailing trip. Ms Brauer had others who supported her and helped her.

We, too, can learn so much from others. There are so many people who have been where we still want to go. I am always amazed by the skills, abilities and expertise some of our seniors possess and are willing to pass on. I also like to exchange thoughts and understandings with others.

Even on my journey of faith, it is good that there are brothers and sisters on my side. Church communities and small groups can enrich our faith experience and open new horizons for us.

We are not alone, not even when we are “sailing single-handed”. Especially when times turn to worse, rather than better, we can find help and support with each other and offer our help to those who need it.

True blessings will be shared so that we can grow not only as individuals but also as a community. When God chose Abraham and blessed him he added: “and all peoples on Earth will be blessed through you”. Together we can achieve so much more and get through the times, come what may.

• Karsten Decker was the pastor of Peace Lutheran Church in Bermuda from 2010 to 2017, and after returning from Germany is now the temporary pulpit supply at Centenary United Methodist Church in Smith’s