Welcome to 2018 and Looking forward to 2019…. (Already)

Let’s talk about Time

By Abel M. Ghebreyesus, BA, MHI, LSSGB

“Wey Gzie….” (“Oh…what a time!”) is a common way of expressing some sort of astonishment in Tigrigna’s everyday usage. What a time…. to be alive! “Wey Gzie” could be many things: astonishment in most cases, but also anger, regret, excitement… Depending on the time and place, it means a number of things.

What a time to be alive witnessing our streets will meet soon so many self-driving cars, what a time to be alive tiny tennis ball size gadgets sits in our living rooms and talk to them like friends. “Google! who is coming to town today?”, “Alexa! why I am having a headache right now?”…. “Siri! should I wear T-shirt or sweater?” It is exciting to witness such unbelievable, sci-fiction look alike advancements in our eyes.

As time goes on, there are always new advancements and new events are happening. It feels exciting to have such smart products that make our life easier. …..However, here is the conflict many of us would might

feel as the calendar turns the page. “Yes, it is new year, but how about my age?” or “mileage” is the key question many people ask themselves when they find a new calendar. “Am I getting older?” “Am I losing my hair” “Am I running towards to that D word?” (D- as in death). “Or that D is running towards me?”

It depends on whether one feels excited or worried about a “time” and how it is a “flying” element. The most important thing is how you used this God given gift of time. Prophet David sings by saying: “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). In other words, every day is an opportunity to do things better than yesterday. Whether one is in school or at work, God made the day to be better at what we do – even those small thing that need to be improved, today is the gift to make it better than last time.

After all, the years we are living here in this world is like shot of macchiato. Not (of course) with the analogy of macchiato, but Bible says this: “Yet you do not

know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” (James 4:14). It is true life is short. But God’s message is not emphasizing on the shortness of the time, rather the essence of time. Am I spending my time with what God wants me to do? Am I living a life as God called me to live? The scripture says, “the world and lits desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:17).

…. And the question has to be am I living life – the everyday life – as I am supposed to? Am I just counting the number of years or weighing my accomplishments? Thus, calendar (such as this 2018) reminds us to be aware of how wise we are, not how old we are. As St. Paul advises we should work in “making the most of our time” (Ephesians 5:16); and that is why I am looking forward to 2019 and 2020…., because, for sure, I will be wiser and better than my silliness of the moment!!!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *