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
