New year, new things
WE start a new year with new things. Christmas ended the year with new things for us, which we will take into the new year. Some people will have a new phone, some new clothes, new computer and many more other new items, including a new waistline measurement.
But what about a new start? This is often where new year resolutions come in. The cutting back on things after Christmas and the New Year begins. A time gyms look forward to, people joining gyms in order to get back into shape. There will be many other New Year resolutions which will be made this month, but how long will they last? We set off with the best of intentions.
New Year is a good opportunity for new starts, it doesn’t have to be a New Year to make new starts but it is a marker point for us. For some the New Year will be a time when the regrets of the past year are carried forwarded, a little like unused holiday hours. The New Year could be the opportunity to put right, that broken relationship, with a friend or family member. An opportunity to get on better with one’s neighbour. The New Year is a good opportunity to re-focus on what is important in life, to re-evaluate where we are going in our lives.
I am reminded of a poem which was quoted by King George VI in his 1939 Christmas speech very shortly after war broke out And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: “Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.” And he replied, “Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God, that shall be to you better than a light and safer than a known way”. So I went forth and finding the hand of God, I trod gladly into the night”.
If after re-evaluating where your life is going and you feel change is needed and issues need to be addressed why not take the advice of this poem and commit to going through this year not dependant on your own strength but seek the strength of God.
He is a God who delights in leading us by His light to help prevent us making the same mistakes every-time. Feeling your not good enough to seek the help of God? He loves to give fresh starts to us, when we seek to live life by the light and love He gives, we not only have the best new start ever, but we have One who is ever faithful and never abandons us.