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NEW YEAR BLESSINGS
No Such Thing As "Luck"

A Commentary by Constance Vanides

Back in January for the New Year of 2006 I wrote about my family's New Year's bread tradition. Take another look for yourself by clicking on the Archive, "Ingredients for a New Year, Die to self to rise anew."

http://www.godcares.org/archive/jan2006_ingredients_for_a_new_year.htm

The story is about a special sweet yeast bread into which a coin was hidden. When the bread was cut on New Year's Day, each family member would search for the coin, hoping it would be in his piece! We were told that the person in whose piece the coin was found, would have "Good Luck" for the New Year. Just to find the coin in my slice was fun enough. But, as I grew older, I wondered about "Luck" and what that actually meant.

"Luck" is described in the dictionary as, "That which happens to one seemingly by chance."

"Lucky implies success by chance rather than as the result of merit; fortunate, less suggestive of a favorable accident, may carry a hint of being watched over by a higher power, of being blessed beyond one's deserts; happy combines the implications of lucky and fortunate, with stress on being blessed; providential more definitely implies the help or intervention of Providence."

Conversely, "Unlucky" is Unfortunate; ill-fated; bringing bad luck; ill-omened.

We identify "Luck", as either good or bad. As Christians, the source of good is God. And bad, or evil, comes from the "evil one." The Bible makes it clear. The Old Testament Prophet Amos still says to us today, "Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Hate evil, love good." (Amos 5:14, 15)

The rich young ruler approached Jesus and said, " Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?" Jesus' answer was revealing, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God." (Matthew 19:16, 17)

And when Jesus taught His disciples how to pray, (the "Our Father" prayer) He said, "...deliver us from the evil one." (Matthew 6:13) The whole prayer is directed to our Father, God, acknowledging His presence alone to lead and guide so that in those things of "chance" we can trust God alone to deliver His mercies and those surprises of goodness when we least expect them!

If then, you would want the good that comes from God alone, eliminate the word "luck" from your vocabulary and replace it with the word, "blessing." Relying fully on God will surely bring in that Happy New Year you desire. He knows your heart.

Blessings to you!

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