A New Year Prayer

Before the new year’s por­tal

With wait­ing feet I stand

And seek

dear Lord

a bless­ing

The guid­ance of Thy hand.

The path is all un­trod­den

No hu­man foot­fall yet

Has left a trace to fol­low

And save our vain re­gret.

The way seems dark be­fore me

With no clear guid­ing light;

All un­re­vealed its dan­gers

To my dim mor­tal sight.

Father

I dare not ven­ture

One sin­gle step alone

Lest I in blind­ness stum­ble

Against some hid­den stone.

Known to Thy high­er wis­dom

Is all my fu­ture way;

Its rough­ness and its wind­ings

Its snares to lead as­tray.

Unguided I shall wan­der

Lord

let me take Thy hand

And hold Thou up my go­ings

That I se­cure may stand.

I know not what awaits me

Along the com­ing year

What cup of joy un­tast­ed

What wea­ri­ness or fear;

Beneath what weight of sor­row

I may be called to bow

How near the drea­ry sha­dow

Falls on my path­way now.

But this I know

un­doubt­ing

That not too great or strong

Will be the cross Thou’lt give me

The dark­ness not too long;

For lov­ing like a fa­ther

Thou chast­en but to bless;

And with each need­ed tri­al

Will give sus­tain­ing grace.

Lord

quiet these fore­bod­ings

These hu­man doubts re­move;

Give me child­like as­sur­ance

A calm

un­wa­ver­ing love.

Let me go for­ward brave­ly

With will­ing

trust­ing feet

Through Thine own strength to con­quer

Each en­emy I meet.