Happy New Year, friends!
As 2018 begins to unfold, no doubt it will be an interesting year for each one of us, full of challenges and joys. Some of those joys and challenges maybe we can anticipate, and many we have no idea are coming! But we can be assured that God is with us every step of the way, a constant and good companion.
I’m reminded of some of Jesus’ last words while on earth, “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28.20). Always…Always…and forever. Come what may and for how ever long, Jesus is with us. It’s very comforting at the start of a year.
It’s easy to ask for God’s blessing at the beginning of the year, and for God’s help, for God’s protection, and this is neither wrong or bad, and even advisable!
In that I’ve come to know that abiding in Jesus and letting Jesus abide in us (John 15.4) is the deepest ground and actual goal of Christian spirituality, there’s another sort of prayer at the beginning of the year that I find so helpful.
It’s from John Henry Newman:
Dear Jesus, Help me to spread your fragrance wherever I go. Flood my soul with your spirit and life. Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly that all my life may only be a radiance of yours.
Shine through me, and be so in me that every soul I come in contact with may feel your presence in my soul.
Let them look up and see no longer me, but only you, O Lord! Stay with me and then I will begin to shine as you do; so to shine as to be a light to others. The light, O Lord, will be all from you; none of it will be mine. It will be you shining on others through me.
Let me thus praise you in the way which you love best, by shining on those around me. Amen.
May 2018 be for each one of us be a year of abiding more closely with Jesus so that he can shine more brightly through us!
On the Journey,
PS: Thank you so much to so many of you who contributed to the work of Coracle at last year’s end! It means so much to us and enables so much to happen for so many, and I’m delighted and thankful that because of your generosity we met our goals for year end support. Thank you!! It’s going to be a great year together!