New Year's Eve has, for the past 5 years, been the loneliest day of the year for me. Not so much because I'm divorced and live alone-----but because there was no one to share my life in Christ with in celebration of overcoming the obstacles of the old year and going into the new year with a fresh start.
All of my life, from childhood to adult, my family spent New Year's Eve in church where God's people gave testimonies of victories in their lives, illumination of God's Word that led them into His presence, stories of personal growth, friends and family members who were won to the Lord, etc., etc. We would then get on our knees, around 11:30, praying and worshiping God for bringing us through another year, with anticipation of His continued love and guidance in the New Year. Shortly after midnight we would gather in fellowship hall where we would continue our celebration with food and well wishes to one another in the New Year.
Not many churches today have "Watch Service"----so I've been spending the evening alone, on my knees in prayers and songs of thanksgiving and hope as time closed out the old year and ushered in the new. At midnight I would partake in the Lord's Supper in remembrance of my union with the Savior.
This year, my church combined its Candle Light Christmas Eve Service with one of our neighboring churches. What a blessing! God truly left His throne and visited His children on that evening.
Tonight, our neighbor church is having New Year's Eve (Watch Night) Service and I look forward to attending with great expectation that God will again minister to His children, re-igniting our hearts with passion to press on toward intimacy in Him.
