Every January 1st we celebrate the hope that the coming year will be “happy,” and we proclaim Happy New Year ad nauseam. I challenge you to enjoy a moment of “hope” for the coming year to be successful in ways we all desire, but then spend some quality time reviewing what happened to you in the previous 365 days. Can you honestly and comfortably proclaim, “Happy Old Year”?
If not, why not? My father used to say, “every day above ground is a gift from God,” and this sentiment drives me head long into each new year. Indeed, it drives me into each new day!
Here’s the question – how can we greet January 1st with Happy Old Year when the previous 365 days included a death of a loved one, loss of a job, serious illness to a beloved friend or relative, plans for an exciting vacation trip scrapped due to Covid, etc, etc. How on earth can I proclaim Happy Old Year in light of the above?
2023 saw a brush with a new cancer threat for me; a beloved brother-in-law passed away; my sister and brother both had serious surgeries; and on and on. So, the answer to my question is this: a Christ-follower can indeed shout to the mountain tops Happy Old Year because God never leaves us to face our perils alone!
That’s how The Merton Prayer ends, “I will not fear, for you are ever with me and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.” That is how each of us can grow closer to God in our daily walk – acknowledging that God is with us every step of our journey. That’s what Immanuel actually means – three Hebrew words, simply transliterated into English, with the meaning “God with us.”
Each of us can shout with joy and conviction on January 1st, Happy Old Year, because no matter where our journey took us in the year past, God never ever left us alone. Need a New Year’s resolution for 2024? Here’s an idea which I guarantee will keep you close to God in an authentic relationship – recite the Merton Prayer every day, slowly, savoring each phrase! You will soon have the prayer memorized and will find yourself saying it more often that you ever could imagine! The Merton Prayer link — https://themertonprayer.com/
Happy Old Year, Happy New Year, Happy Every Year! God with us, Immanuel, what a joy this life can be as we wait for our eternal blessing – all because God is indeed always with us. And as Merton prayed, “God will not leave us to face our perils alone.”
[NOTE: If your organization, church, or school would like a workshop/presentation on The Merton Prayer please use the contact tab and let me know! I can Zoom all over the world and have done 90-minute, 3-hour, 5-hour, weekend, or five-day workshops/retreats.]
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The Merton Prayer 