On the Sixth Day of Christmas...
...my true love gave to me, as the song tells us "Six geese a-laying". I don't know about you, but I'm not sure that I would like to receive one goose, let alone six running around my home. If my true love gave them to me I really don't think that I would be very grateful.
Today is also the penultimate day of the year. For some of us, the thought of a new year fills us with dread; for others we may be looking forward to saying goodbye to this previous year for one reason or another. I am not one to make resolutions because I don't keep them for very long; if at all.
I don't think that it is is necessarily a good thing to dwell on the past, particularly the bad things, but it is good to look back on the previous year and be thankful for all the good things the year has brought. I realise that sometimes it is hard to find those good things if there has been a number of bad things happen, however, there is always something, somewhere in the year that we can find to be thankful for.
It may be a kind gesture someone has given us; a gift; a relationship; or even a kind word.
I've had a very mixed year, one that didn't start as I had planned it to and, as a result, the first half was very stressful indeed.
As I look back over the year and try to focus on the good things the year brought me, I also try to look and see what the, not-so-good things, the things I hadn't planned and envisaged have taught me.
As the end of 2017 draws to a close, I realise once again, that all the important things in life cannot be bought. I believe that love, life and friendship are the most important gifts I could ever receive, they cannot be bought and yet, they are priceless.
For the months when life was tough this year, I am thankful to those who stepped in to help practically, came to visit to break up the day, and so many other little things which made a massive difference to the situation we found ourselves in.
So what have I learnt and what gifts have I received?
Many, but the two main things are these: First of all, I need to always base major decisions Godly values. God taught me that I can survive of much less than I thought so I should make sure that I always trust Him.
Secondly, as someone who finds it very difficult to rely on other people, I learnt (again) that I had to rely on others. People were very willing to offer help, I only had to accept it.
Thirdly, there is always something to be learned in our suffering. I firmly believe that God doesn't send the bad things in our lives, but I do believe that He can use all the situations we find ourselves in, for good.
My gifts? I have received the gifts of friendship and love and I know that I can do it! As we go through the storms of life, if we focus on the good things, no matter how small they are or how hard they are to find, our focus will shift to make them bigger in the long run.
Jeany Pavett
Author of
Photo by Scott Van Daalen on Unsplash
