Wise Living

Every January 1 brings us to the threshold of something new.  Actually,  every day brings us to such a place though we seldom think in such a way.  Just another day is what a repetition of days ends up feeling like for us as we take for granted one sunrise after another.  It is one of the great illusions as each day, Regardless of its notation on the calendar, each new day is full of new possibilities.  Once it passes, there will never be another one like it and neither will its opportunities afford us its possibilities.  Each day is new and something to be seized.   

While it may be good to use the first day of the year to start something new, if we end up missing that moment there is no reason not to use the next day.  Maybe it is time to start learning to play some new musical instrument, or restoring a piece of furniture, or reading some books, or changing the spiritual patterns that impact our living, or even spending time with the people we love.  The list of new possibilities that could be realities is endless.  They are simply waiting on us to move toward them.   

As the page turns from December to January, we hear a loud reminder that the clock is ticking.  Staying on the sofa is no longer a luxury that can be afforded.  The book of Ephesians in the sacred Word says, "Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time..." (Ephesians 5:15-16).  If there is something we know we want to do, or something that we know which needs doing, we need to get at it.  Today is God's precious gift to us.  May our gratitude be reflected not just in the words of our prayers, but in the actions of our living.