I Know Who Holds Tomorrow

It is officially winter, and as I sit here typing, I can here the winds howling outside the windows. And it is 4pm in the afternoon.

Winter has seen some changes made to the household setting. We have emigrated from sleeping in the bedroom to the living room as the bedroom faces the mountains, and the oncoming relentless wind seeps through even though we have sealed off as much openings as possible. Great view, but great breeze too. And the only heater in the house is also in the living room, when we do occasionally need to warm up the surroundings a little. I have also been sleeping with a beanie. Yes, I sleep with a hat/cap because my head feels cold at night.

As frozen as it may sound, winter in Kochi is not all gloom and doom. The sun's still strong in the day when it's not so cloudy or rainy, and that keeps temperatures above 15 degrees C most times (where else can you get winter at that temperature?!). We have been forewarned though, that January / February is 'miserable', as one senior teacher puts it.

The current warmth in the day contrasts greatly though, with the low temperatures at night, but we have so far been able to keep ourselves comfortable without the use of the heater or the ofuro (hot water bathtub). And it has been a wonderful time for us, doing onsen-hopping whenever we can, both to keep ourselves warm, and to experience this unique Japanese practice unrivalled anywhere in the world, as much as possible. It has also been fun (at least for me) doing fashion-layering whenever we go out.

3 more weeks and 2009 will be passe. The year end is always a time for people to take things slower, reminiscence on the good and bad times of the year past, and look forward to the new year that is approaching. This year, we will be spending new year's eve in Kyoto, counting UP to every blessing that has been given to us this past year. As we look forward to 2010 and the major decisions that we will have to make in the coming year, I wonder how many people live their lives with uncertainty and fear. Unsure what the economy will be like, uncertain if the next job will be right; afraid of a decision that could impact the rest of your life, fearful that there will be regrets in that answer given.

But we can have certainty, all the time. Don't we? Hope most of us have realised many a great blessing that the Lord has shown us in this passing year, and that we all may continue to have the wisdom to recognise, acknowledge, and praise Him for the coming ones.

I don't know about tomorrow
I just live from day to day
I don't borrow from its sunshine
For its skies may turn to gray
I don't worry o'er the future
For I know what Jesus said
And today I'll walk beside Him
For He knows what is ahead

Many things about tomorrow
I don't seem to understand
But I know who holds tomorrow

And I know who hold my hand

I don't know about tomorrow

It may bring me poverty

But the one who feeds the sparrow

Is the one who stands by me

And the path that be my portion

May be through the flame or flood

But His presence goes before me

And I'm covered with His blood