Spiritual Housecleaning

For people in Japan New Year's Day, or Oshogatsu, is the biggest holiday of the year. As a child, I recall my Mom preserving many of her homeland traditions--setting up the kagami mochi (specially decorated rice cakes with a tangerine on top), displaying kadomatsu (traditional bamboo arrangement), savoring osechi such as sushi, soba noodles and kuromame, and my favorite New Year's Day breakfast--a steaming bowl of ozoni (rice cake soup). Ahhh, my mouth waters at the anticipation!

Another Japanese tradition is to clean the house from top to bottom in preparation for the coming year. I must confess--this has not been a week for major housecleaning here. (See post below for the reasons why.) However, I've been pondering housecleaning of a different kind: spiritual housecleaning.

In the Bible study I'm currently going through with friends, this week's chapter had us focus on the foundation of faith. Through reading the account of Sarah's journey from an immature, disbelieving and manipulating woman to a mature, believing and submissive one, I was reminded of God's faithfulness to lead and guide His children through the storms of life. His goodness and grace is our foundation; He is the Rock upon which we stand.

Standing at the threshhold of another year, I thank God for renewing my vision once again. I often get tired. I sometimes worry. I am not immune to anxiety. Yet He whispers to me, Don't fear. I am with you. I will never leave you nor forsake you. If you find yourself at the edge of a canyon of doubt, you can leap with abandon because I am standing here with open arms.

Thank You, Lord.

"Faith goes up the stairs that love has built and looks out the window which hope has opened." ~Charles Spurgeon

Anyone making New Year's resolutions? For the last few years I eschewed them thinking every day is an opportunity for change. And so they are. But this year, my thought is--why not? Why not take this opportunity for spiritual housecleaning? I could stand a good mop up, and the Lord knows how much clutter is in my heart and mind.

At the start of every year I choose a different Bible reading strategy for the months ahead. Last year, I chose to concentrate on specific books of the Bible as well as working through supplemental studies. This coming year, I will be reading through the Bible in a year again. If anyone is interested in joining me, Discipleship Journal has two Bible reading plans online. Whether you choose one of these or another plan, I hope 2005 will find us both immersed daily in the richness and wisdom of His Word.

What are your plans for the last day of 2004? We are planning to make a quick trip to our favorite Japanese market to buy special holiday foods and ingredients. I'll do some preparation tonight for tomorrow morning's ozoni, and I will hang a new 2005 calendar. We'll take out our family scrapbooks and remember all the ways the Lord has blessed us. And we'll pray. Most definitely, we will pray.

At midnight, we will post a special message from Elizabeth. See you next year!

"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." Ephesians 5:15-17