Auld Lang Syne

Happy New Year’s Eve and Happy 8th Birthday to my beautiful granddaughter, Kamari Alicia Gaither.
     Philippians 3:13- “No, dear brothers, I am still not all I should be, but I am bringing all my energies to bear on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.”
     When we transition from the old year into the New Year it has been customary to do the familiar countdown – 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 –shouting “HAPPY NEW YEAR”. We blow our whistles, rattle our noise makers, hug and kiss even perfect strangers and those in secular setting will fake through a verse or two of "Auld Lang Syne". Many of us may be in religious or family setting where we usher in the New Year on our knees in prayer and praise. Some will swing into the New Year in grand style at lavish parties, while many may follow the haps from around the world in the comfort of their homes via television broadcasts and live streaming.
     Regardless of where you are one thing is for certain when the clock strikes midnight many will see this New Year as a new opportunity to salute and say farewell to the old and prepare to conquer new ground. The saying Auld Lang Syne is from a Scot traditional folk song and loosely translated into English says "for (the sake of) old times".
     For the sake of old times, we remember the people, the places, the events, the challenges and the triumphs that the old year presented. For the sake of old times we remember and relish the lessons we were taught and the impact those lessons will have on where are now to go. To truly cherish old times does not mean that we wallow in the old, or try to remain in its grasp, but we appreciate the old by forging new paths rooted and grounded in what the old had to offer.
     Now it is it time to forget the old; not the essence of the lessons, but forget in the sense that now we must turn it loose and grab hold of the new. Like a trapeze artist in motion, use the old as a catapult to thrust forward to catch the new. To some it may be just another day on the calendar; just another sunrise on the horizon or just another shift at work; but those who know that every day God grants brand new mercies, this new day of the New Year is special for many reasons. Like the Sankofa bird, look back upon the past for what it has brought but keep your feet and momentum pointed forward as your move into your new destiny. 
      Every day is a good day; it is up to us to make it a GREAT day! Be blessed! Rev. Dr. JoAnn