HAPPY NEW YEAR 2021!

There’s a Hungarian superstition that says ‘the things you do on New Years Day are what you will do for the rest of the year.’ In Hungary New Years Day is a public holiday. It’s a day where people spend time with family, eat yummy food, relax and weather permitting enjoy an outing. They avoid doing house work, and paid employment and anything else that they don’t want to do during the year and enjoy a holiday. I’m not particularly superstitious, but for the first day of 2021 I’m following Hungarian custom.

A TIME TO REFLECT

One of the things I love about New Years Day is that it’s an opportunity to reflect on the last year; to ponder the good, the bad and the COVID.  

* What did I love about 2020? 

* What were my favourite achievements?

* What made me happy?

* What was disappointing? Is there anything I need to make amends for?

* Who blessed me the most and whom did I bless?

A TIME TO DREAM

New Years Day is a twenty-four hour epoch of time when one can plan for the coming year. It’s a time to write down dreams, goals, aspirations and hopes for the new year.

* Who do I want to be this year?

* What three things do I want to achieve in 2021?

* What will I do to care for myself?

* Who do I want to connect to this year? 

In his book Busy: Thriving In A World, Tony Crabbe writes that we can connect to 15 significant people who give us something necessary in our lives. Choose your people and make plans to connect with them. 

A TIME FOR ME 

In Ecclesiastes 3:1 it says, ‘There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.’

Time poverty is a chronic problem, so taking a day to do something you enjoy is important. 

This New Years Day I will wake early to spend time with God reading the Bible and praying. I’ll do my favourite exercise class and spend time playing with my daughter. I may go to the beach with my family. I’ll probably write. I’m going to do the things that I want to do in 2021. I hope you do too.

Rabbit Glitter

My daughter and her friend were vigorously playing with Henry, our gnome rabbit. His litter box needed a clean and I called out to the girls, "Can you please clean the rabbit glitter?"

Both girls ran to the back door with flushed anticipation. "Yes!"

"Where's the glitter?" My daughter asked, a broad smile stretched across her lips. 

"Oh, it was a slip of the tongue, I meant clean the rabbit litter."

Smiles were replaced with furrowed brows and wandering gazes. "Oh, I thought rabbit glitter, like glitter. Something shiny and fun. No we can't do the litter now, we’re busy," my daughter replied before ushering her friend back to their game. 

Rabbit Glitter was much more appealing than rabbit litter. 

William Shakespeare wrote, "What's in a name? That which we call a rose/ By any other name would smell as sweet." He meant that a name doesn't determine the value of an object. 

Rabbit glitter, though having allusions of fun, pretty, sparkles, didn't change the stinky reality of the litter box.

Sin is the same. You can rename pride as confidence, or covetousness as healthy ambition, or workaholism as a strong work ethic, but it doesn't make it any less obnoxious. Renaming sin doesn't make it less damaging to yourself or to others in your world. 

Sin means to miss the mark, or to fall short of loving God, others and ourselves like Jesus did. Jesus healed, listened, forgave, laughed, wept, loved and gave His life for humans to be made right with God. He lived a selfless life. Jesus is not just our example, He is our ticket to heaven. By believing in Him, we not only get better lives on earth, we can have eternal life.

We live in a world that doesn't want to acknowledge that sin is bad. We prefer to normalise or embrace selfishness, but how about we don't? Let's not rename sin, but call it out in ourselves, confess it and stop doing it (repent).

Instead of dehumanising others with lust, let's see people as humans and pray for their wellbeing. Instead of fearfully hoarding money and things, let's give cheerfully and trust God's providence. 

What if we reject selfishness, greed, lust, pride, hate, envy, fits of rage and other sin?

What if instead we embrace love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control?

Love for God, family, friends and even your enemies has it’s challenges, but the rewards outweigh the unpleasantness. Sin is like rabbit glitter, it sounds great, but in the end it stinks.