WHAT ABOUT 2017?

For the past few weeks, I have been tortured mentally as I am still trying to decipher and chose the suitable words to describe the year 2017. Honestly the year 2017 means different thing to different people based on different experiences and encounters. To me personally, 2017 was the fastest year of my life, it run out with the speed of light leaving traces of fresh collection of events. I am still trying to figure out the phrase to call the year 2017. In fact, I won’t forget 2017 in a rush.

Ubiquitously, just like any other year but uniquely in its own grand style, the year 2017 left trails of events that will go down history in the minds of all and sundry for either the good reason or the bad ones. Some love and were loved in return while others were despised unjustifiably. Promises were kept while some were carelessly broken. As others were born others also died. Some lived the entire year with much hope while others faced each passing day with despair. Some that were written off were saved while others were regrettably lost.

Again, while the year 2017 gave many reasons to laugh, others had their fair share of tears. Others tried and fail in many ways, yet others succeeded in many different ways. Similarly, while others triumphed, some were defeated. Memorably, others made life changing decisions and commitments while others made life wrecking decisions and commitment. Just as predicted by the Holy Writ, some people went from bad to worst while others from good to better. While facing rare life opportunities; some procrastinated, others took timely decisive actions. In the same vein, some invested time, while others spent it recklessly.

There is no gainsaying about the fact that in the year 2017, some merely survived while others lived purposefully. Some people’s zeal waxed stronger while other people’s zeal wanes and died out.  Some encouraged others while others did otherwise. Some had pains, while others gains. Some dared while others feared. Some experienced prolonged sickness while others received their long awaited miraculous healings. Some made friends while others unfortunately made enemies.  Some can boast of notable achievement in 2017 while others had none.

The list of the events can go on and on as one or two even more of the above listed experiences best described and capture the year 2017 for you. Indeed, 2017 has been a long year ravaged with repertoire of events, some of which we would want to capture over and over again while others we wouldn't want to even for fraction of a second. True, so far this year has presented to us things we planned for and those we haven't planned for, but what matters is what we make out of all these.

Now that we are in the second month of the year 2018, where do we go from here? Should we let the bad experiences and encounters of 2017 weigh us down or should we pick up the pieces of our lives and move ahead? Indubitably, there is every reason for us to build on the successes, achievements and strengths of last year while we equally learn from our mistakes, failures and weaknesses. Every day is New Year and every time is right to do the right thing.

I am not a prophet of doom neither do I want to sound deliberately pessimistic, but with deep sense of humility and responsibility, I can say from the experience and observation gathered in the last 42 days, that the year 2018 will only work and make sense for men and women of faith, people that live with eternity in view; this is simply because faith is when you risk anything on God Such are the people that make the most of their time knowing the days are evil. They will leave no stone unturned to reach out to a dying life. Such are the people that can see beyond the physical in fulfilling God’s purpose over their respective lives in all spheres of their life. In fact, in the year 2018, “the just shall live by faith”.

I don’t want to be a spectator this year, yet I will not be making or living by another religious New Year Resolution that won’t last a month. I just want to me in Him (Jesus) so that He can do Him in me. I just want to be an ordinary person carrying and extraordinary personality of the Holy Spirit. I only desire to daily change my world by first changing myself and the immediate people around me. I want to be a life that lived, a hand that reached out, a foot that moved, voice that spoke, and a heart that loved in every possible sense to make others better. If only we will be this and more, 2018 will go down history with eternal rewards and blessings that will far out-beat our wildest imaginations and expectations.
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