New Year and New Life, the Transition

New Year Vs New Life

I was thinking this morning.... about expectant preparations for a new season. Yes, a few person expectantly prepare for the next day, many prepare for the next month (with Happy New Month now becoming a common saying), and almost everyone expectantly prepare for the next year. However, I am not sure many expectantly prepare for the next life, like we do for a new year.

I was on my way to the airport last Thursday heading to Lagos in preparation for the New Year holidays, when I got a message on Facebook asking me to check the Facebook page of a friend and former University classmate. Immediately I knew something was wrong. I checked but couldn't find him anymore amongst my friends. I reverted to our common classmate that sent the alert and he dropped the bombshell that our friend had passed on.

How could he have gone so suddenly? Was he sick? Was he in an accident? So many questions flooded my head in my confused state. I later confirmed that he had taken his son for a soccer match and decided to join the son for warm up exercise before the game begins. While they were on it, he fell to the ground and by the time the medic arrived, he was confirmed dead. What a life? There was no expectant preparation.

While I was saddened by the loss of my friend who usually ensured that I enjoyed my stay whenever I was in London, his sudden transition got me thinking. How come tonight, the last day in 2017, millions around the world will gather in churches for a crossover service that will usher in the new year, and billions more will gather around fire works at city centres and television sets for the count down to 2018, yet the most important transition from mortality to immortality is unheralded? In recent years many people close to me had made this transition without any idea of the crossover.

As we wake up tomorrow to a new day, new month and new year, everyone you meet will tell you 'Happy New Year,' but my heart skips a beat when I remember that no one is telling our loved ones that had transited, 'Happy New Life.' Yes the bible teaches that innumerable company of angels and saints are on hand to welcome saint that sleeps, but those of us on this side of the divide have hardly had the opportunity to wish them 'Happy New Life' like we do at the beginning of each year. I also understand that just like wishing someone a happy new year does not translate to the person being happy through the year, so also saying 'Happy New Life' is only but a prayer, believing that the person had done the right thing as a mortal to be happy in immortality.

Therefore, if you have lost a loved one this year 2017 and as we look forward to a new dawn in 2018, I encourage you to use this last day of the year to say a simple prayer for them by typing 'Happy New Life' after their names, before we all get drenched with the 'Happy New Year' rain. So, to Paul Idiaghe, Samson Adegboyega and family, V.O. Grant, Deaconess Omisore and Pastor Dittimi, to you I say 'Happy New Life.'

And to all of you reading my thoughts for today, I say an early 'Happy New Year.'

....Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey.