Thoughtful Moments

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 37, 5 January 1945, Page 2

Thoughtful Moments

(Supplied by the Whakatn.

THE CALL OF THE NEW YEAR

Once more I am called to cross the imaginary line into a new time. "I have not passed'this way heretofore." With staff in hand I will cross over. And thus will 1 take, my pilgrim way: With a fresh sense of the world's beauty, and with gratitude for the right to think God's thoughts after him. With a new appreciation of the starry heavens above me, the swee.t air and sunshine about me. and the divine love within me. With a new reverence for the, wise laws that fence me in, and a new ambition to lift all life; into the fellowship of the highest laws. With enlarged ideas of duty and greater skill in assisting the pilgrims who journey l#.ide me. With faith to see that the world is better if I am individually better and with joy that I may share the' Creator's work of restoring a world to order. With the determination to guard my lips as palace doors, to think only the things that are worth while and to rever all Christlikc •9 men and women the world over. With a desire to be a good work-, man while the day lasts;, yet ever ready to lay down my tools and go to him if he calls me. Thus I cross my mystic line and take my pilgrim way into the new year. WHEN THE YEAR IS DONE Let us forget .the, things that vexed and tried u& f The worrying things that caused our souls to fret; The hopes that ; cherished long were still denied us— Let us forget. Let us forget the. little slights that pained us, The greater wrongs that rankle sometimes yet; The pride with which some lofty one disdained us Let us forget. Let us forget our brother's fault and railing— The yielding to temptations that beset That lie perchance ) whose grief is unavailing, Cannot forget. But blessings past all deserving Kind words and helpful deeds, a countless throng, The fault overcome the rectitude •J un swerving, Let us remember long. The sacrifice of love the, generous giving

a*: Mifiist e.is' Association).

OUR SUNDAY MESSAGE

When friends were few, the handclasp warm and strong. The fragrance of each life of holy living Let us. remember long. Whatever things were good and true and gracious^ Whate'er of right has triumphed over wrong What love of God or man has rcn-i dered precious. Let us remember long. So pondering well the lessons it has taught u& ? Unfalteringly we bid the year "Good bye," Holding in memory the. good it brought us, Letting the evil die. ## =&# A new year is a good time to let Christ say to us: 1 make all things new." Whatever has been good in the past year can't lie destroyed. If it had God in it :it cannot be lost. Nothing of evil which wc dread for the new year need befall. We are in no and cannot be if wc stay in Christ. And Christ is pure goodness, and perfect success. We can have all things and do all things. "New year," we 'say, "you took , us over from the, old year a failure. What Ave have been we shall be." "New year," says Christ, "I give you this life purified and strengthened. It will do in you what it never did before," "We are just the same people we have always been," we are tempted to say at the beginning of the. new year. "It is of no use to make any new We can't do otherwise than just go on doing as we have done." But if we look back we shall see. that we have not. always done 'just the same things or done different things in the same way. We have either improved or deteriorated. And if change is possible., why shall we not resolve that there shall be change and change for the better in the new year? Simply making new resolutions, while simple enough, will end where it began unless we have help from above. No more can come, out of a well than is in the well. And likewise of a wiR We can't draw out what is not within. But Christ can do two great things for us. He can show us what wc ought to resolve Lo do and be. And He can give us strength to achieve our new purposes. Our need is simply God and Jesus Christ in God offered to man. Stand up today alone beside Christ and unflinchingly make the comparison of our character with His. ft will make us humble. But also it will make, us glad. For He, who will condemn us utterly will also receive us with open arms and breathe into us a new hope and a new strength.