The activities around us are unavoidable, some of these are because of us, but many times they happen to us, by others. However, we get to decide, what we give our focus to and what we allow room for in our hearts, writes Paul Kauri, General Superintendent of the Cook Islands Assemblies of God.

Kia Orana everyone and welcome to 2024! Here we are at day 12!

Right now, I feel like the Christmas and News Year’s celebrations went by so quickly. They were here and now they’re gone, and we’re on to the next day and the next thing.

For us, Christmas day was very enjoyable, we had breakfast with our family, that lasted five hours with lots of laughs and different activities, and a special time opening gifts.

But, before you knew it, it was New Year’s Day and so more activities were planned. Family dinners and board games (and a lot of cheating!) were the main features (especially the cheating), with a family ride around the island on our scooters, stopping at different spots, taking lots of photos, and sending them back to New Zealand to share with our families (did I mention the cheating in the board games?), it was a lot of fun!

While Church ministry and related activities slowed down, they never stopped. But starting back this week in our Marketplace work, made me feel like it was all a blur!

I’m not complaining, I can’t complain, I mean, spare a thought for those who had to work right through including Christmas Day and News Year, like our emergency services, the hospitality industry, our airport and those industries attached.

I just want to say, Thank You to the Cook Islands Police, Te Marae Ora Cook Islands, and all other government agencies who worked to keep our people safe and well during the festive season. And to our hospitality industry for looking after our visitors to the Island and keeping our economy going while feeding the locals who couldn’t be bothered … I mean, were too busy to cook! And to all those who work in and around the Airport, keeping our families connected in the Pa Enua, and here in Rarotonga, Meitaki Maata kia Tatou katoatoa.

Then pause and consider those who lost loved ones over this festive season, both iti tangata and our visitors, here in our beautiful Paradise. No, I’m not complaining at all. I am however, making an observation, I’ll come back to that in a minute, right now I have an announcement to make.

In 1974, on the 3^rd March, the Cook Islands Assembly of God was officially registered with the Cook Islands government here in Rarotonga. So, on the 3^rd of March 2024 (which is a Sunday) we will be celebrating our 50^th birthday, more details to come next month.

50 years is also known by another term, Jubilee or The Year of Jubilee. In Biblical terms Jubilee marked the year of freedom and payback. If a person sold themselves into slavery to pay off a debt the year of Jubilee meant this debt was now cancelled and the person was now free. The same rule applied if they gave their land to pay a debt, on the year of Jubilee that land was given back to them.

The Cook Islands Assembly of God will not just be celebrating our 50^th birthday on the day we were officially registered. Instead, we will be celebrating “The Year with Jubilee” and we will have five celebrations throughout the year, more details to come … next month.

It is a new year and a new season for the Cook Islands Assembly of God, and we are excited for all that God has called us to and we look forward to celebrating this year with you all!

Now, back to my observations.

At the birth of Christ, the One who is the Reason for the Season, there was a lot of activity at that time for Mary and Joseph.

There was the travel to Joseph’s home town, looking for a place to stay in a very packed-out Bethlehem. There was the birth of the child, the visit from the shepherds and their crazy story of angels. The astrologers who spoke of a king being born in Bethlehem, pointing to the child, and blessing them with very fine gifts. Then the prophet and the prophetess at Jesus dedication to the Lord and their words of encouragement and amazement.

In amongst all this activity surrounding the birth of Christ we read this little line of Mary’s response to everything,“but, Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” Luke 2:19

Since 2017 my wife, Tania, made the deliberate choice of enjoying every moment with those who are most important in her life. We are most blessed to have shared 40 years together, and counting. We are also blessed to have six awesome children together (who are also great friends of ours), six amazing in-laws and 11 full-of-fun grandchildren and counting. We are so blessed with our wider family, many who share our faith in Christ and our convictions to the Bible, and some incredible friends who walk with us in this journey.

I don’t know why it seems that time is moving so quickly, when logically there’s still only 24 hours in a day, even with the extra day this year in February. I’m sure there’s some scientific explanation to it all, but here’s my observation, and I hope it helps you in your interactions with family, friends and others:

• Mary treasured these things and pondered them in her heart;
• My wife made an intentional decision to make the most of every moment with others, in particular those closest to her.
• In the midst of numerous activities, both these women exercise being “present” in the moment, with those who matter.

What’s my point?

The activities around us are unavoidable, some of these are because of us, but many times they happen to us, by others. However, we get to decide, what we give our focus to and what we allow room for in our hearts. We don’t have room for everything happening around us, and it wouldn’t be healthy for us if we tried, there’s a name for that, it’s called burn out.

Mary treasured and stored in her heart all that was happening to the One whom God gave her, namely Jesus.

Tania is treasuring her moments with those whom the Lord has given to us and prioritising attention or focus to them.

My closing thought

As time moves by at the speed of 24 hours a day, perhaps it would do us well to consider who our priorities are, and maybe, just maybe, it is possible to slow down time, by being present in our moments with them. Perhaps this was how Mary treasured the moments in her heart.

Happy New Year as you ponder your priorities, from Tania and I.