new year

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

2 Corinthians 5:17 (New International Version)

When I was a child the ringing in of the New Year was an important ritual. My brother would be sent out the back door to walk around the front so we could have a “first foot.” To ensure good luck for the house the first foot should be a dark-haired male, and he should bring with him symbolic pieces of coal, shortbread, salt, black bun and a wee dram of whisky. My memory is unclear as to whether all the symbols were used, I cannot recall ever seeing a black bun.

My life is not based on luck. There is nothing that a piece of shortbread and a dark haired male will change anything in my life. My high spirits today, as 2021 begins its first day, are not from drams of whisky/ whiskey but is from a God conversation earlier.

The conversation will remain in the spiritual ether of my heart reaching out my withered hand and meeting the hand of the creator. My prompt today was a quote from Henri Nouwen –

Pay attention to the people God puts in your path if you want to discern what God is up to in your life.

Henri Nouwen

As I read this I was about to head out for my 5k walk with headphones in and hood up. And I giggled as I considered how was God possibly going to use me whilst I filled my lungs with his sweet air. The attention was not on the people but on the steps and 2 metres were going to be between me and anyone no matter what the path. A long way away from random conversations in avenued Dublin of a few years ago.

Last night I would have loved to be in a watchnight celebration as described in Lectio 365 today. It was a New Year’s Eve like no other. A quiet affair with a early repose. Today I read in Psalm 3 that salvation belongs to the Lord and His blessings shall be on His people. That is my New Year prayer. My hope is not in the luck of my Scottish heritage, my hope is in Christ alone. And this day I reviewed the past year, the many changes, planned, unplanned and unprecedented.

In the beginning …