Fa La La La La......

A Devotional by Margot Cioccio

I took this picture yesterday at a historic home in the area. It strikes me how we enter the New Year still decked in last years Holiday decorations. I was reminded of  the line from the Christmas Song Deck The Halls that says
"Fast away the old year passes, Fa la la la la, la la la la.  Hail the new, ye lads and lasse" I realize that we have passed over the imaginary line we draw in our lives and we are in a new year.  

The week I took off from writing is over and I enjoyed the break and had hoped to have some great inspiration in crossing from one year into another by the time I got to today. I find I don't really. The New Year stretches out before me with things I can't even see yet. There are somethings I want to try to do better, but I do that all year long. I come up with my best ideas of what will solve or improve some portion of my life and I set out to test and try my idea - some work others don't. I evaluate and keep trying. 

I'm not one for grand resolutions - I realize that change is a process. Some changes are things we work to create and others are thrust upon us and we work at managing the new change. I am aware going into a new year that that I can do my best to plan for how I think the year will un fold. Along the way there will be adjustments to the plan because some things will work and others won't, plus un expected things will happen along the way. Expected changes will happen and all of it molds and shapes us, even when we think we will pass by as an observer we are affected and changed.

Psalm 90:17 says May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us;
    establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands.

I suppose I go into this year realizing that I can plan and resolve to do any number of things but I will need the favor of the Lord in order for any of them to truly bring Him glory.  I think of the words of an old Welsh hymn  Guide me O Thou great Jehovah (some versions say Redeemer )

Guide me Oh Thou great Jehovah

Pilgrim through this barren land. I am weak but Thou art mighty Hold me with thy powerful hand. Bread of heaven Feed me now and evermore

I like it because it reminds me that we are pilgrims on a journey. Compared to the glory of our heavenly home this is a barren land. We are weak and were it not for the mighty and powerful hand of God we would not make it.  So I look to the New Year realizing first and formost that I will need the favor of God to rest upon me. That I will need his mighty powerful hand to hold me to His plans and purposes. That I will need to be fed the bread of heaven to sustain me on my journey. 

You and I will need his daily sufficient grace as we continue on our journey. 
I guess I am humbled to think that I head into a new year of writing and that somehow God will use it to encourage both the people I know and others that I will never even meet. So I will look at it as an awesome privilege to be the stubby pencil in his hands. I look forward to what God will do in and through me in the year ahead.

I leave you with a beautiful song that I found this morning called Grace by Laura Story. If you get this in your e-mail click on the title of the post to get to the actual devotional page. 

Prayer: Lord, the old year has passed and a new one begins. Guide us daily through this journey called a New Year. Hold us steady in times of trouble, move us and direct us when we feel we've lost our way. Allow your favor to rest upon us and let us know the joy of your presence.