From whence does my help come?

Recently, I listened to the youth in my Sunday morning class talk about what they did to bring the New Year in! They talked about sledding, they talked about late night parties, and they talked about the excitement of ringing in the New Year with family and friends. New Year’s Eve is like the capstone of our Christmas celebration. For four weeks we prepare to receive the Christ child, anticipating the light that comes into our darkness and shines all around us and we take that same light – that light so much a part of Christmas night, and bring it with us into the New Year. 

It may have been a cold winter night for the psalmist or perhaps an ending and a new beginning similar to our New Year celebration when the psalmist penned the words, “I lift my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from?” Whatever the context of the question, we can conclude that our psalmist was curious and in a reflective state of mind. Such is the opportunity that greets us as we begin another year. It’s easy to find a New Year’s party or spend a quiet evening with family, ringing in the New Year with a glass of wine, bubbly grape juice or a toast to the New Year with some Champagne. It takes less revelry and a little more time to stand at the threshold of a New Year and ask, “where does my help come from?” It is probably not something that many would ask at midnight after all the shouting, but maybe this is the time – the time to look to the year past and say thank you for the memories, the joys, the sorrow, the challenges, and the unexpected events that changed our lives. Maybe this is the time to lift our eyes to the hills, acknowledging God’s careful and attentive attention to each one of us and to our families and friends. This is the time to look into the New Year with unfettered hope and a wild imagination that envision a closer relationship with God and God’s heavenly realm.  

I lift my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? The psalmist answers, “My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth…” The psalmist wrote a song, a poem. The wise men brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The angels brought a song to sing and the shepherds brought their curiosity, their sheep and their excitement about the Child King, the Messiah. In our secular world of memorable Christmas songs, the drummer boy plays his drum for baby Jesus and Mary keeps all of these things as special memories of the heart.  What can I give? I can give my life. As we leave the light of Christmas behind and cross the threshold of this New Year, may we embrace this year confident that the Lord will keep us from harm and watch over our coming and our going from this day on and forevermore? 

Prayer: 

God, one year has passed and a New Year is within our grasp and you have made this possible for us. God you created the world, your words have been heard through the ages and your voice calls us from a future yet unknown. God, may the light of baby Jesus shine upon us and may we find peace in knowing that you do not leave us alone and watch over us on this day and forever. Amen.