When it comes to the holidays, my precious wife is a bit old-fashioned. She goes all out in the fall for Halloween and Thanksgiving; and this is nothing compared to Christmas. In December, she knocks it completely out of the park, decorating, cooking, and providing an atmosphere that is guaranteed to inspire all but the most orneriest Scrooges amongst us.
She carries that same passion right over into New Year’s Day. On that day each year, there are certain things she simply will not do, such as cleaning house or washing clothes. She firmly believes that undertaking these and/or similar household tasks on the first day of a given calendar year sets a bad precedent for the remainder of that year.
Not that I am complaining. After all, who wants to run a vacuum cleaner when there is so much football to watch on television?!
On the other hand, there are certain things she absolutely believes must be done on New Year’s Day. To begin with, staying up till midnight and ringing in the New Year by kissing one’s spouse is a top priority. I, myself, am completely in accord with this. So much so, that from about 10:30 pm on last night, I kept asking her to check her watch! :)
Another fine New Year’s Day tradition she firmly believes in has to do with the kitchen. She insists on cooking a meal of ham, back-eyed peas, and either collard or turnip greens. Supposedly, the pork helps to facilitate good fortune, while the peas and greens represent pennies and cash that could be enticed to come one’s way.
As I write this, it is now c. 3:00 pm on New Year’s Day. So far, I have yet to receive any infusion of wealth. But I am pleasantly digesting one fine mid-day meal! When the dinner bell rang a little while ago, I dutifully filled my plate to the full. (And considering that I would rather be lucky than wealthy, I even had second helpings on the ham!)
All jokes, aside, here in the southern USA, we are somewhat noted for our New Year’s Day traditions. (You can read more about them in the references cited below.) And like many southerners, we here in the Jackson home hold true to them year by year.
Nonetheless, deep down in our hearts, my wife and I will admit that neither of us really believes that eating pork is lucky, or that eating peas and greens somehow ensures an influx of money.
What we do believe, however, is that each New Year that comes our way is a gift from Almighty God. If the Lord tarries His coming, and if He does not choose to call us home to Heaven in the coming year, 2022 will bring us 52 more weeks or 364 new days to live. What is more, each of these days will be divided into 24 hours, 1440 minutes, or 86,400 seconds.
Given that most anything can happen in the next second, what the Bible calls “in the twinkling of an eye”, each new second of life is a precious opportunity. That means in 2022, we may well be given 449,600 (86,400 X 364) new opportunities at life! Let that truth sink in for a moment. If you do, you will surely sense just how precious a gift the coming year is.
Now, what better way is there to utilize that gift than by finding some mean or means to redeem as many of these God-given opportunities as possible?!
Do you have a purpose in life? The mere fact that God created you and endowed you with life means you most assuredly do. So, why not commit afresh and anew to discovering just what that propose is?! As well as to seeking God-given moments of opportunity in order to fulfill that purpose?!
The Apostle Paul told the believers in Galatia (chapter 6, verse 10) that, as they had opportunity, they should seek to do all the good they possibly could. If we follow this admonition, not only will God be glorified in us, but our own lives will be more meaningful as well. Not to mention the difference doing so might make in the lives of those around us!
For these reasons, this coming year, I’ll not be looking so much to fill my plate with fortune or material possessions as I will to fill it with God-given opportunities to live a full and meaningful life. For when 2022 has come and gone, these latter things will surely be far more filling than mere good luck, a fast buck, or even a second helping of my wife’s famous ham, peas, and greens!
SOURCES:
https://www.moms.com/new-years-day-superstitions/;
https://www.newyearwiki.com/new-years-food-superstitions/.
SCRIPTURE:
https://biblehub.com/bsb/galatians/6.htm.
She carries that same passion right over into New Year’s Day. On that day each year, there are certain things she simply will not do, such as cleaning house or washing clothes. She firmly believes that undertaking these and/or similar household tasks on the first day of a given calendar year sets a bad precedent for the remainder of that year.
Not that I am complaining. After all, who wants to run a vacuum cleaner when there is so much football to watch on television?!
On the other hand, there are certain things she absolutely believes must be done on New Year’s Day. To begin with, staying up till midnight and ringing in the New Year by kissing one’s spouse is a top priority. I, myself, am completely in accord with this. So much so, that from about 10:30 pm on last night, I kept asking her to check her watch! :)
Another fine New Year’s Day tradition she firmly believes in has to do with the kitchen. She insists on cooking a meal of ham, back-eyed peas, and either collard or turnip greens. Supposedly, the pork helps to facilitate good fortune, while the peas and greens represent pennies and cash that could be enticed to come one’s way.
As I write this, it is now c. 3:00 pm on New Year’s Day. So far, I have yet to receive any infusion of wealth. But I am pleasantly digesting one fine mid-day meal! When the dinner bell rang a little while ago, I dutifully filled my plate to the full. (And considering that I would rather be lucky than wealthy, I even had second helpings on the ham!)
All jokes, aside, here in the southern USA, we are somewhat noted for our New Year’s Day traditions. (You can read more about them in the references cited below.) And like many southerners, we here in the Jackson home hold true to them year by year.
Nonetheless, deep down in our hearts, my wife and I will admit that neither of us really believes that eating pork is lucky, or that eating peas and greens somehow ensures an influx of money.
What we do believe, however, is that each New Year that comes our way is a gift from Almighty God. If the Lord tarries His coming, and if He does not choose to call us home to Heaven in the coming year, 2022 will bring us 52 more weeks or 364 new days to live. What is more, each of these days will be divided into 24 hours, 1440 minutes, or 86,400 seconds.
Given that most anything can happen in the next second, what the Bible calls “in the twinkling of an eye”, each new second of life is a precious opportunity. That means in 2022, we may well be given 449,600 (86,400 X 364) new opportunities at life! Let that truth sink in for a moment. If you do, you will surely sense just how precious a gift the coming year is.
Now, what better way is there to utilize that gift than by finding some mean or means to redeem as many of these God-given opportunities as possible?!
Do you have a purpose in life? The mere fact that God created you and endowed you with life means you most assuredly do. So, why not commit afresh and anew to discovering just what that propose is?! As well as to seeking God-given moments of opportunity in order to fulfill that purpose?!
The Apostle Paul told the believers in Galatia (chapter 6, verse 10) that, as they had opportunity, they should seek to do all the good they possibly could. If we follow this admonition, not only will God be glorified in us, but our own lives will be more meaningful as well. Not to mention the difference doing so might make in the lives of those around us!
For these reasons, this coming year, I’ll not be looking so much to fill my plate with fortune or material possessions as I will to fill it with God-given opportunities to live a full and meaningful life. For when 2022 has come and gone, these latter things will surely be far more filling than mere good luck, a fast buck, or even a second helping of my wife’s famous ham, peas, and greens!
SOURCES:
https://www.moms.com/new-years-day-superstitions/;
https://www.newyearwiki.com/new-years-food-superstitions/.
SCRIPTURE:
https://biblehub.com/bsb/galatians/6.htm.