 Watch Night: Taking Stock |
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by Deaconess Liwliwa Robledo |
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As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other just as the Lord has forgiven, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. This evening is watch night. In my youth, we gathered on New Year’s Eve for the ritual of reflecting on the end of the year. Sometimes we laughed at our foolishness for not fulfilling our resolutions. Then we wrote new resolutions--hoping that this time we would fulfill them. We were given an opportunity for a fresh start. On this night, we take stock of what happened in the past year and look forward to the next. As we do so as Christians, let us also take stock of our call. Are we any wiser? Are we filled with regrets? When we reflect on our past, we discover that everything that happened was part of our call. The end of the year can be a time of reckoning. We imagine ourselves facing God and making a report of our accomplishments and failures. Some of us look at the ending year as the threshold of a great opportunity to reaffirm our call to ministry. Others of us feel deep regret, aware that another year has been stripped away from them and that some opportunities have been lost forever. Jesus Christ taught us to love and serve others. We must learn to share with others the kindness and love we have received--especially those who need these affections. Many of us are more fortunate than others, and we must share our fortunes. In the process, we don't lose what is ours; we multiply what was given to us for free. I took stock of yesterday, and all I found were beautiful memories and nurturing tears. I look forward to the future and see myself investing what I have learned into the lives of others. Each one of us has a purpose in life. God designed that purpose and only we can fulfill it. God's reason for giving that purpose to us is so that we can multiply that joy and fulfillment in the lives of others. Yes, that is God’s purpose--to multiply mercy and kindness. John Wesley spoke of spreading scriptural holiness over the land. In the process, we live the kingdom of God on earth. I look at the years ahead as opportunities of investing what God has entrusted to me. This is why today I look for opportunities to share my life with others, especially young people. I know that there is no better legacy than to multiply God's joy and faithfulness. I know, too, that when they themselves grow into maturity many years from today, they will pass the “torch” of hope and joy to others, who will do the same in their time. I took stock of the past and all I saw were pearls and diamonds. I look forward to the future and all I see are opportunities of service and ministry. There are no regrets when we are in the hands of God, only joy and meaning. Happy New Year! Liwliwa Robledo is a deaconess on special assignment as the interim president of Harris Memorial College in Manila, Philippines. Harris College, a United Methodist college, has more than 100 years of experience as the premier school for educating and training deaconesses in the Philippines. | |||
