An Opportunity

AN OPPORTUNITY

              Edith Lovejoy Pierce has written, “We will open the cook.  Its pages are blank.  We are going to put words of them ourselves.  The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.”  May I suggest that we take the four words than express the basic theme of Christmas – Joy, Hope, Peace and Love – and write them in the first chapter of Opportunity for the New Year.

              Joy is the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying.  A friend of mine gave me a small plaque of Christmas which says, “Joy is Contagious” Is it really?  I wonder.  I think it could be if we resolve to be joyful.  We can find joy in the smile of a child, in the glory of a radiant sunset, in sharing lunch with a friend.  We can give joy with a note, phone call, or visit to a shut-in or just sharing a friendly smile and greeting

Hope is an optimistic attitude of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes related to events and circumstanced in one’s life or the world at large.  Emily Dickinson, the poet, writes, “Hope is the thing with feathers - / That perches on the soul - / And sings the tune without words -/ And never stops – at all.”  We are troubled by the pandemic and all the other problems in our world, but we must never give up hope that God is in control of His universe and all is well.  Hope can be as contagious as Joy.  In the New Year, let’s spread Hope.

Peace has many meanings; however, I think the Christmas thought comes from the Jewish word, Shalom, meaning completeness, soundness, wholeness, tranquility and harmony in body and soul.  Our daughter says that every time she asks her son what he wants for Christmas, he always answered kiddingly, “World Peace,”  I believe we all want an absence of war, but there is not much we can do about that except pray for our leaders to make right decisions.  I suggest that in our work, in our homes and in ourselves we need Shalom.  In the New Year, let’s take every opportunity to be at peace, to practice Shalom.

Love is best defined in I Corinthians 13 of the Bible: “Love is patient, kind, not envious or boastful, not arrogant or rude, does not insist on its own way, not irritable or resentful.  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things.  Love never ends.”  When we experience true love, we know that it means to be joyful, to have hope and be at peace.  My wish is for all of us to write words in the book of Opportunity given to us this New Year and make them become a part of our lives every day in 2021.

In closing, I share this poem written by D. Simone to wish you a joyous, fulfilling and happy New Year.

                             May light always surround you;

                             Hope kindle and rebound you.

                             May your Hurts turn to Healing.

                             Your Heart embrace Feeling.

                             May your wounds become Wisdom;

                             Every kindness and Prism.

                             May Laughter infect you;

                             Your passion resurrect you,

                             Many Goodness inspire

                             Your Deepest Desires.

                             Through all that you Reach For,

                             May your arms never tire.