It was New Year’s Day, and I got up before Martha, The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. I poured my coffee and then sat in my easy chair to look toward on the day.
As I was thinking about my plans, a thought struck me. I don’t have too many thoughts, but once in a while, one comes my way and hits me, and I’m not sure what to do about it.
The thought was simply this: today begins a new year. I’d given this too much thought recently, but last year is over. Today starts a new year.
What in the world happened to last year?
Just then, Martha came into the living room, and said, “What are you thinking about today?”
I looked at her and said rather soberly, “Do you know today begins a new year?”
“What,” she said, “happened to the year we’re living? I was just getting adjusted to that year.”
Looking at her, I said, “What do you think about last year?”
The living room was relatively quiet for a few moments, and then she said, “I really don’t know what I did during the past year. I’ve been so busy doing things that I can’t remember all the things that I did.”
Then, looking at me, she said, “what about your year?”
I said, “Do you remember my birthday?”
“Oh, yes I do. It was a wonderful time don’t you think?”
I said, “What was the best part of my birthday last year?”
“I think the best time about your birthday was the wonderful present I got you. How did you like that present?”
I thought, and I thought some more, but I couldn’t come up with what she got me for my birthday.
“That was a wonderful present you got me. I appreciate it so much. Thank you for that gift.”
Looking at me with one of her infamous smiles, she said, “I spent a lot of time trying to think of that birthday gift for you. What was the best part of that gift?”
Of course, now I’m in real deep, ah, water. I gave it some thought and tried to remember, but nothing actually came to mind.
That’s the thing about getting older — you forget things you should remember, and remember things you should forget.
I didn’t know what to say, so I said, “The best thing about that birthday present was your thoughtfulness in getting me such a wonderful present. I’ll always appreciate you for getting me that present.”
She smiled at me, and at least it worked this time. Or so I thought.
When a year passes, it’s not too good to reflect on the past. The best thing is to appreciate the past, but then put the focus on the present.
This time of year, my favorite Bible verse is from Ecclesiastes.
“The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.”
— Ecclesiastes 1: 8
We think something is new, and it may be new to us at the time, but there is nothing new under the sun.
Dr. Snyder is a former pastor who lives with the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage, wife Martha, in Ocala, Fla. His email is [email protected].
