Our feet crunched the snow with every step through the little Bavarian village tucked into the Cascade Mountains of Washington. Surrounded by festive lights and happy tourists sledding, we walked through the fairytale town of yesteryear. A little adventure in the mountains, a time of respite as a family, a time just for us to celebrate the covenant of our marriage, our 16th wedding anniversary. We ate pretzels and remembered our early years. We browsed through the book shop, perused a charming pottery and art store, tried on hats, and enjoyed the culinary offerings of this alpine village almost buried in snow.
The space between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day is always a joy for me. The beauty of the Christmas season, the lights and the snow, the comfort of blankets and slippers, the contentment of loved ones enjoying their gifts, intentional moments of tradition to curate and add to family memories, the celebration of our wedding anniversary, the peace of knowing my Redeemer is alive and what He came to accomplish, and the joy of knowing He will return to bring the fullness of His Kingdom and reign over the whole earth… all these things bring a calm to my soul and quiet peace as I sense the closing of the year and the beginning of a new one. A new year dawns, and I am drawn to a favorite poem, a favorite reflection, a favorite song, and a new year’s prayer. It is my delight to share these things here.
A Poem - At the Gate of the Year, by Minnie Louise Haskins
And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:
Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.
And he replied:
Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.
So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night.
And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East.
So heart be still:
What need our little life
,
Our human life to know,
If God hath comprehension?
In all the dizzy strife
Of things both high and low,
God hideth His intention.
God knows. His will
Is best. The stretch of years
Which wind ahead, so dim
To our imperfect vision,
Are clear to God. Our fears
Are premature; In Him,
All time hath full provision.
Then rest: until
God moves to lift the veil
From our impatient eyes,
When, as the sweeter features
Of Life's stern face we hail,
Fair beyond all surmise
God's thought around His creatures
Our mind shall fill.
The first time I came to know this poem was in the early 2000’s while living abroad in Scotland. A dear friend and missionary gave me a portion of this poem, and it embedded itself into my soul as a message of hope and light.
A Reflection - Tea & Liturgy by Sandra McCracken
“As the water boils and the afternoon sun calls out the evening shadows, a new space opens up for us to listen to each other, and to meditate on less urgent but more significant matters. As we wait for the tea to steep, the unspoken, dried out thoughts within us are now able to expand like the leaves in the warm water. And when the fragrant tea pours into our cup, the nourishment begins to set in. In Bird By Bird, Anne Lamott speaks about the business of writing. She persuades us that the best part of being a writer is not the thrill of success or book sales — it is the joy of writing for its own sake. She draws a parallel with tea: ‘While you thought you needed the tea ceremony for the caffeine, what you really needed was the tea ceremony.’ ” - Sandra McCracken
This article deeply impressed me over a decade ago when I first read it, and I often come back to it, even for brief moment of recollection when I steep the tea, when I compose hand-written cards, and when I take time to slow down and allow my mind to embrace the present moment. I will probably forever come back to these beautifully written words all my life:
“I want to write love letters with a paper and pen. I want to make house calls. I want to waste time on things that matter. On things that leave a mark in this world and the next. I want to carve out time to stop and boil the water. To bring out the china and the silver. To ask good questions of myself and my neighbors. And to listen patiently for the subtle answers. I want to live a life of love and liturgy.”
-Sandra McCracken
A Song - The Space Between by Sandra McCracken
“Free fall, feet off the ground
A clean, white page, fresh snow, no sound
Here as we wait, from dark to dawn
New paths before us, the old is gone
Unplug the lights, take down the tree
The less we have, the less we need
From Christmas night to New Year's Eve
We bless the space that’s in between
We bless the space that’s in between”
A Prayer - New Year, The Valley of Vision
Give me a grace that precedes, follows, guides,
sustains, sanctifies, aids every hour,
that I may not be one moment apart from thee,
but may rely on thy Spirit to supply every thought,
speak in every word, direct every step,
prosper every work, build up every mote of faith,
and give me a desire to show forth thy praise;
testify thy love, advance thy kingdom.
I launch my bark on the unknown waters of this year, with
thee, O Father, as my harbor,
thee, O Son, at my helm,
thee, O Holy Spirit, filling my sails.
A lantern post in the mountains… Narnia? Hmmm…