Growing up, I have always wondered if there ever was a new year.
The orthodox thing was the arrival of a 31st of December and off we go to church, for hours we pray, cast out demons, enter into family houses to break generational altars, claim our riches, claim our marriages and crown it with resolutions, I just can’t say much for our Muslim brethren, and others of different beliefs.
Honestly at a certain age, not only did this act become boring but disappointing because nothing really changes after the 31st of December, it has always been the same ‘me’, same environment and frustrating of all is the fact that the so called New Year sometimes become worst of than the previous ones.
Truth is I almost questioned my pastor’s position as a man of God and what he meant each time by ‘This year is your year’.
However, I have always been grateful for one thing; life, and that’s my only consolation.
I must confess my gratitude to God in the past year 2016, not only for life; but also the understanding of a New Year.
The Bible says ‘as a man thinks so he is’. So a new year is not the ritual observation of a 31st of December to cross into the another year, neither is it the celebration of a 1st of January, but rather a total renewal of the mind; appreciating life as a gift, a conscious analysis of how we perceive things, doing well in the things we can, loving genuinely, embracing who we are and self-discipline.
Every day of our lives should be celebrated as a miracle other than wait for the end of the year.
Once our eyes are opened to this fact, we will learn that every day is an opportunity to become a better person, right our wrongs, and take advantage of the opportunity life presents us.
Truth is, the Monday or any other day of the old year and the New Year are not different, it is what you do differently on the New Year’s Monday from the old year.
Many have suffered disappointments and are frustrated because their prophesied new year didn’t turn out to be what they expected.
The truth is that, much is dependent on the individual than perceived miracles.
I am a bit uncomfortable what Christianity has been reduced to in recent times, maybe it is time our religious leaders teach us certain principles such as attitudinal change and God, a principled Man.
Actually, a prophesy is only a confirmation that God knows what your plans are and approves them; so ideally you work at those plans and he blesses, but you do not sit and expect a miracle.
Nothing good or bad happens just by chance, they are as consequence of a certain action, let’s be responsible enough not to think the answer to every predicament is ‘God knows best.’
As a nation, a good or bad year has just little to do with the government in power, the greater work lies with the individual, the floods are likely to sweep us off our feet again if we still throw rubbish indiscriminately about and we will continue marking time for as long as we don’t practice any such thing as ‘maintenance culture’.
A newness of a year is relative; depending on every individual and what you make of life each day.
By: Princella Selasi Yawa Amevor
Email: diamondalasy@gmail.com
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