When I stand on the threshold of a new year, I immediately think of a poem by Louisa Fletcher. It’s titled “The Land of Beginning Again:”
“I wish there were some wonderful
place called ‘The Land of Beginning again’
where all our mistakes and all our
heartaches, and all our poor sordid grief
could be dropped like a shabby old coat at the door
and never put on again.”
In a very real sense, there is such a place. It is the beginning of a brand-new year. The new year is a gift from God; what we do with it is our gift to God. The realization of this came to me on my wedding anniversary on Dec. 31, 1978. I had read a Guidepost article that indicated that what we deeply expect to have happen is often close to what actually happens.
At that long-ago wedding anniversary, I decided to write down three things I hoped would happen in the new year. Then I asked the question, “Is there anything in these desires not in keeping with God’s will as interpreted by Jesus?”
The three desires were: First, I had a deep desire to have a TV program in which I interviewed people about their faith. The answer came quickly but in a slightly different format. One week to the day, Helen Exum, Life editor with the Chattanooga Free-Press, telephoned to ask if I would consider writing a column about people and their faith. My first article came out only a few weeks later, and I’m still writing the column today.
The second desire was to lose 10 pounds. The program of nutrition and exercise became a lifestyle for me.
The third was to be a stronger Christian and a happier one. That still is a strong desire on my part. Though I still have many things to work on, I can honestly pray the prayer of Gert Behenna: “Lord, I’m not what I ought to be; I’m not what I’d like to be; I’m not what I’m going to be; but thank God, I’m not what I used to be. Amen.”