A few years ago, our whole family took a trip to Canada. Since it was our first family trip, everyone thought we should prepare thoroughly so we wouldn’t experience any inconvenience. Each family member packed as much as they could. We filled the car’s trunk and every inch of space under the seats, and even that wasn’t enough—so we tied three suitcases onto the roof of our small four‑cylinder car with thick ropes and set out.

But the trouble began at the very first rest area on the way to our destination. Whenever we stopped to use the restroom or look around, someone had to stay behind to guard the luggage strapped to the roof. Only then did we realize that our baggage was preventing the five of us from moving freely together. Yet each person insisted that this item or that item was necessary, and everything felt too precious to discard. After much deliberation, we finally decided that as soon as we crossed the Canadian border, we would sort through the luggage, go to the post office, and mail it home. Crossing the border meant paying expensive postage, but once we sent the luggage away, the lightness and freedom we felt allowed us to taste the true joy of traveling. Even now, whenever we remember how cramped we were in that little car, unable to stretch our legs because of all the baggage, we burst into laughter. Through that experience, our whole family learned how wise it is to travel lightly.

As we welcome the New Year, we set out once again on a new road in history. Though there are so many people in this world, no one knows what kind of path lies open before us. No one knows whether a field of stones awaits us, or a cliff, or an unpaved muddy road, or whether the smooth highway we have been traveling will continue. We pack our bags full, hoping for safety, health, and blessings throughout the year. Before setting out, I unpacked my bundle once more, drawing from past experience, and examined what was truly necessary. From that, I selected just three things I cannot do without this year.

The first is “gratitude.” This year, I want to break the habit of giving thanks only when something lacking is supplied or something missing is filled. I want to give thanks for what I already have—my health, my present circumstances, my husband and children who trust and love me, my relatives and church members, my homeland, the small garden and study in the parsonage that bring me joy, and the congregation who prays for me. All of these are reasons for gratitude. As long as God allows, I want to express gratitude freely in thought and in word.

The second is “love.” In the past, I was often hurt by difficulties in relationships, but that was because my love for others was not generous enough. My habit of judging and criticizing others came from a lack of love—a failure to embrace, not realizing that such a path is the dividing line between life and death (1 John 3:14). This year, I truly want to choose only the path of life at that crossroads.

The third is “faith.” With the compass of Hebrews 11:1—“Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”—I want to set out with complete trust and reliance on God. I want to travel with a faith that does not waste time wandering in the shadows of empty illusions. I do not want to pray cowardly prayers asking God to remove every obstacle before me. As in years past, invisible walls and Red Seas may suddenly rise before us, blocking our personal and national hopes and goals. Yet how great is the assurance that with faith, we can endure all these obstacles.

A journey must be simple and free if one is to enjoy it fully. We pack many things thinking we might need them, but in truth, only a few things are truly necessary. Have we perhaps lost the true purpose of the journey by trying to satisfy too many physical needs? This year, I pray that as my spirit, soul, and body seek balance, I will not care only for the body and lose my spirit and soul.

This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of our nation’s liberation—a Jubilee year. It is a year of joy and freedom, when slaves are released, debts forgiven, and land returned to its original stewards. As we set out toward this celebration of joy and national liberation, I carry with me gratitude, love, and faith. As I begin the new path the Lord has granted, I pray that my bundles will not in any way hinder His plans.

— Yoon Wan‑Hee, January 9, 1995