Happy New Year

Happy New Year

Welcome to Christianity Oasis. This is Happy New Year from our Sojourn With Luz Leigh Collection. We hope you enjoy this enlightening reading and it helps you on your own be-YOU-tiful Christian walk.

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Sojourn With Luz Leigh

Happy New Year

Written by Luz Leigh - 01 January 2008

QUIET. Peaceful sounds. Those are the things I prayed for and sought about eight hours ago. You see, it was New Year's Eve and as usual, my neighbors were celebrating with a yardful/houseful of relatives and friends. To them "celebrate" equates to drinking alcoholic beverages, mainly beer. The music must be LOUD. Fireworks must be the sort that not only sounds like I am living on the streets of Baghdad, but they must make my windows rattle when they are set off.

Around 2:00 a.m. I finally drifted off to sleep, but the party was still in full swing. When I awoke at my usual time and walked to the front door to open it and greet the morning, there was the evidence of a "great" party. Beer cans, paper plates, cups ... you name it. They are really good neighbors. They had shared their trash with me.

Being a human whose first thought was retaliation, I wanted to drive my car across the street, begin blowing the horn until all were aroused. But that would only mean there would have been in the neighborhood of twelve or so hung-over men, and probably some women, looking bleary-eyed and wondering if I had lost my ever-loving mind.

Instead, I dressed, took a garbage bag, and with rubber gloves on, began to clean up my side of the street and my yard.

The quietness I had prayed for last night had come. You see in 2 Chronicles 23:21 are the words, "the city was quiet." Last night I had wanted to call out to the revelers, "Take heed and be quiet," Isaiah 7:4, and from Jeremiah 47:6 "How long before you are quiet?" Yeah, I know, I took those out of context, but it is biblical for me to desire peace and quiet, isn't it?

In Proverbs 20:1 we are told "Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler." In the second chapter of Saint Sarah are the words, "You will suffer headaches and illness, known as hangovers, if you imbibe in alcoholic beverages."

I was in the presence of some fellow Christians for a few hours last evening, many of whom were like me, ready for sleep and peaceful surroundings before the magic hour of midnight. However, all were excited as the countdown began for the end of the year 2007, many reflecting on the good and the bad things that had transpired in the year soon to be history. Hopes and plans for the coming year were expressed, some in the form of resolutions. One very clever person made the remark (not original to him) "I resolve each year to not make resolutions."

We were encouraged by each other to live a better live, take better care of our health, pray more, attend worship services more, read our Bible more, and love those around us. Ok, ok, so I love my neighbors ... I just detest their parties, their noise, their trash, etc. Maybe if I don't yell at them or call the police when they are bothering me, they will take that as a sign I love them. Love the man ... hate his sin.

Well, with this brand new year, I resolve to do a better job of ignoring things that irritate me, and concentrate on being a better person, one who loves her fellowman. Tell me, would it not be neighborly for ME to set off some really LOUD fireworks to help my neighbors and their guests awaken to this New Year? After all, they shared their fireworks with me last night when all I wanted was some peace and quiet. Just in case I get shot, the memorial service will be at midnight, and please, no fireworks.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

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