Standing at the "Gate of the Year"
The poem by Minnie Haskins (1912) was originally entitled God Knows. It was the opening lines of King George VI Christmas address to the Nation in 1939. The then young Princess Elizabeth drew his attention to it. And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: "Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown". And he replied: "Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way". So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night. And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East. Its sentiments are poetic but as I read it I thought about the year opening up for Linda and me. We moved to Cornwall in September last year with the intention of perhaps slowing down but open also to whatever God our Father has in store for us. I'm thinking about planting a garden, walking the cliffs and beautiful beaches of Cor...