My mother was a Christian. and served God all of her adult life. She was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Texas in the 20"s , where she met her husband, my father, who was an Episcopal Priest. During their marriage of over 44 years she shared in her husbands ministry and during the last 10 years of her life she shared some devotional thoughts each year with groups in her Church.
My purpose in sharing some of her thoughts with you is so you may be blessed as I was when I discovered these writings many years after she went to be with the Lord.
JANUARY 1979
I wonder what thoughts come to your mind with the words, "a new beginning".
The two scripture passages which I recalled first as I though on these things were: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" and "In the beginning was the Word".
All of us are endowed by our Heavenly Father with a desire to create. As individuals and as members of our Church family, we will be constantly creating during the coming year. The things which we shall make will not be nearly so important as some of our other creations.
Unless we are in a rut mentally and spiritually, it is most probable that we will create or form new attitudes. Acts which we have deemed essential to our very existence may gradually be pushed joyfully into the background because of a new spiritual experience and a greater awareness of the Presence of God. The trivial, the common task, may appear in a very different light as we see in it a glorious opportunity for self-denial, a road actually to lead us daily nearer to God.
Our habits too, may show the imprint of this creative urge within us. If we do not already have a stated time for daily devotions, we may want to give thought to the creation of this new habit. No matter how often we pray during the day, we need a regular time for daily devotions just as we need regular worship on Sundays. May I say from personal experience that it is worth all the effort, it most certainly requires, to set aside a daily period to be alone with God.
The conscious creation of new attitudes and habits will most definitely be felt in our relationship with others. As we come to Church and Church meetings, we are sure to make new friends. But we may want to go a step farther in this creative process and actually seek out those in our Church who are well known to God but scarcely recognizable in our sight.
And what of the scripture passage, "In the beginning was the Lord Jesus Christ". This passage is the very KEY to all of our creative work. Either we do it through the power of Christ by seeking His will, His help, His guidance, at the beginning of each undertaking or we fall far short of the perfection which might have been. Jesus said, "be ye perfect", but He never intended for us to attempt it alone. He also said, "Lo! I am with you always" and again, "ask and ye shall receive".
Let us pray: O Heavenly Father as we go forth into this new year, direct us in all our doings with Thy most gracious favor and further us with Thy continual help; that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in Thee, we may glorify Thy Holy Name and finally by Thy mercy obtain everlasting life; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
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