Chinese New Year - Day 3

It has been a quiet day for us and we have been able to clean the house, see to laundry and other chores and here am I with time in my hands to pen (or rather type) a few random thoughts. This is not a theological treatise,or a well thought out essay.

Time is sacred, a precious gift from God to all His people. Rich or poor, intelligent or ignorant, we are all given the same amount of time - 86,400 seconds that tick away furiously, 1400 precious minutes or twenty four hours. There is no balance of time to be carried over to the next day! We can waste time, or use the allotted time wisely for our needs and God's glory. Well has the psalmist put it, "My times are in your hand."

Every year is the same - anticipation of the New Year, it comes and we enjoy the time spent with family and friends. We reaffirm our relationships and make new friends. Well, for the last two days, we have had more than seventy visitors! Great to have them. We've been blessed with many good friends who care for us.

I am writing this on the third day of Chinese New Year. Superstitious people consider this day as 'unlucky' day. They reckon there are bad influences around that might lead to quarrels and breaking of relationships! Remember I said, New Year should be the time to reaffirm relationships. No one wants the opposite to happen.
So to prevent or avoid misunderstandings or quarrels, they counsel we should stay home, eating the left-overs, drinking and playing cards or mahjong. Let me caution you, please don't gamble! Gambling is a sin.

I believe there is a reason for this advice to stay home and rest on the third day. There has been a lot of preparation leading to the New Year. Plenty of hard work making cakes and goodies, cleaning the house, making new garments. Then comes the New Year when everyone celebrates. When it comes to the third day, it stands to reason, we are all tired and need a rest. When we are physically weary, we are extra sensitive and more likely to get upset. Don't you think this is a good reason to stay home on the third day than calling it unlucky day. Everyday is a day of blessing from the Lord.

In any case, this is Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath and we should prepare ourselves for tomorrow, Sunday the Lord's Day to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness and to celebrate His goodness to us.

"I rejoiced with those who said to me, "Let us go to the house of the Lord" Psalm 122:1. Let us worship the Lord in the splendour of holiness.