I SPOKE TOO SOON! (POEM AND DEVOTIONAL FOR THE NEW YEAR)
So at long last, the New Year Day has rolled in
But it isn’t the new year I’ve been hoping for
It’s just another long and lonely sleep-in for me
My head is aching from my sleeping endlessly
Last night should have, would have been fun
Watching TV for the fireworks around the world
Popping champagne with my family and friends
Praising God at the prophetic crossover night
But I’m not in the mood for the company or noise
Tried so hard to get officially coupled last year
Been in love with this girl for 10 years and more
Then she says, “Not now” when I finally propose
I’ve always believed, in fact I know it for a fact
That it doesn’t bode well when a lady hesitates
“Not now” might be nice for “In your dreams!”
Thought we were on the same page all along
They say you should never ever hang your joy
Don’t hang your happiness on one person alone
I guess they’ve never seen that someone unique
Who so completes and invigorates them
Now a knock, no, a pounding on the front door
Don’t want cheery neighbours laughing in my flat
I’ll just go out, act ill and get rid of them all
This is gonna be a long, sad and lonely year
But lo, it’s my girl with a hamper by her feet
By the look on her face, I know I’ve hit pay dirt
She holds me so close I can hardly breathe
Then I usher her in to hear the good news
“Sorry, I missed our Christmas date last year
I gave myself a two-week personal retreat
I knew you were the one but wanted to be sure
And now I can say ‘Yes’ with all my heart”
But I said, “Not now,” was the wrong response
If all she wanted was to pray and confirm
“I was thinking of earning my bachelor’s first
Now I see that our marriage can’t hurt that goal”
“Are you sure there’s nothing else you’d weigh?
Don’t wanna enter another hellhole again”
She held me tight, gave me her solemn word
Spoke too soon, this gonna be my best year yet!
Ⓒ Edith Ugochi Ohaja 2017
HOPE FOR THE NEW YEAR
This poem is still a work in progress but I want to use it to say “Happy New Year!” to everyone, especially those who aren’t feeling so cheery going into the new year. Do not let the disappointments of last year dampen your hopes in this year. Don’t allow them to make you conclude that this year is gonna suck as well.
The Bible says in Isaiah 43:19,
“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” – (ESV)
The Lord can give you new and better miracles than those you expected last year. Besides, the issues that weren’t settled for you last year are not necessarily lost causes. God can recover, reclaim, repair and restore that which you had given up on. He did it for David in I Samuel 30:8. This was while he lived as a refugee in Ziklag. He came back from a botched attempt to help his benefactor, Achish, King of Gath, in a battle with Israel to find Ziklag burnt and the families of he and his men taken away captive.
“And David enquired at the Lord, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.” – (KJV)
That is what happened soon after. David not only recovered what had been stolen from him, he came back with great wealth, the spolis from the raids the Amalekites who had attacked Ziklag carried out on the surrounding regions.
That’s the kind of situation I tried to depict in the poem: the sudden recovery, not the sulking part. The young man in the poem felt sure he had been turned down by his girlfriend when he asked to marry her but she came back saying she’d been praying about the matter and she was accepting his proposal. This happened right on New Year Day while he was hiding in his flat to “escape” the merriment that accompanies ushering in a new year.
So, cheer up! Don’t speak too soon! Don’t speak negative things into the new year. Keep trusting God, keep pleasing Him and my prayer is that Psalm 37:4 will be your portion in Jesus’ name.
“Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” – (ESV)
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Wao, interesting!
even the psalmist said it in a fear inspiring way: “I am wonderfuly made. Thanks a lot for the spiritual reminders. I can’t wait to meet you for more encouragement in this happy new year. God bless you more.
And bless you too, Samuel!
God is the author and finisher of our life. he has started and will finish his plans before the end of this year 2017, amen. In ur word aunty u said ” do not let disappointment of last year dampen ur hope in this year” i so much believe that this year will be the best year ever. Our disappointment last yr will help us plan well this year so as to achieve something tangible.
I really love your last sentence. How I wish others will copy that approach. Bless you, Flawlex! I pray some high-profile collabos for you this year in Jesus’ name.
Amen and amen
Many things that were not understood will be heard with the ear ( singular) of the overcomers for those that are not luke warm.
The others will hear only with ears (physical) to hear, luke warm Laodicians of this time. Hugs lovely soul family member.
Bless you, my brother, The Sojourner! xx
Since the poem is still a work in progress . I will reserve my comment till when it is updated.
Happy new year ma
Wish you the same!
Amen to that prayer. I pray that God’s choicest blessings will be ours this New Year. Aunty thanks for sharing this piece
And I say “Amen” to your prayer too. Thanks, Joy!
Love the way the happiness experienced by the guy in the poem is made analogous to hope against our disappointments for the new year. The ability to connect events or ideas that don’t seem related at first glance is a skill I feel every good poet and writers should have.
“Analogous” Nice. Lol! Thanks, Kelechi!
Edith, this post is so needed. I think a lot of people struggle during the holidays because life may not be merry and bright. This post is a great reminder that God is a God of new things and He can bring them to pass in our lives. Glad to connect with you on your blog. Be blessed! – Kia
Thanks for visiting, Kia! I really appreciate it.
Amen to your prayers ma… Happy new year and a prosperous year ahead. The context of this poem gives a clear understanding that we should not see or accept disappointment as the end of our Joy. I pray that all we were not able to achieve last year we would achieve this year IJN AMEN
Amen, my dear. Our God is good!
Exactly ma’am. We should not be bound by our failures of yesterday, every new day is a new opportunity to make good choices and save our joy.
#positivity
Nice, Elizabeth! You are blessed!
Looking forward to a new year. Thanks for the encouragement. I love the verses. I want to follow the desires only He can place in my heart.
Me too. Thanks a lot, Marsha, and have a beautiful new year!
Seeking God’s face first before heading into anything is the best. Personally I think the guy read too much into the statement(Not now) made by the girl.
Yeah, I think so too. You know how sensitive and insecure some people in love can be.
We anticipate for the best everyday…! You have said it all Aunty especially where you said “The Lord can give you new and better miracles than those you expected last year” .. I pray as you speak hope into us through this write up… may it be the same for you this 2017 IJN Amen! Happy new year Aunty.. May God keep blessing you.
Amen. Thank you for your kind words and prayers. Wish you a wonderful new year too.
Love this poem, I could really picture the emotions.
I am glad you like it. You are blessed!
The poem couches on having hope, no matter the challenges of yesterday, there is always a brighter tomorrow. The prose-poetry style used in the poem makes it to be outstanding and enhances good delivery of the message. Though, some poets do not believe that this style of poetry is not actually a poem. Nice work ma, more of God’s wisdom and happy new year. #DATIU
Happy new year to you too!
Beautiful, thanks for sharing Edith!
Thank you, Kelly! I appreciate.
God is no man that is wont to renege on his promises. He does not compromise his standards. He has promised a year brighter than a star-studded night. We only need to trust in him and also pattern our lives in strict compliance to HIS dictates.
Good advice. Thank you, Gideon, and have a beautiful year in Jesus’ name.
Wow! Can’t believe this piece is almost one year now and I’m seeing it for the first time…thanks for sharing Ma’am. I trust God for a better and positive year.
Yeah! He did it for David nd He is going to do it for everyone of us IJN
Beautiful poem
Happy New Year ma
Same to you, Kingsley. You are blessed!
Most times I just can’t stop glancing through your stories. What an inspiring poem. God bless you Ma
Praise God!
Good one. And happy new year ma
Happy new year to you too!
I am encouraged. Yes I strongly believe that 2017 will be greater than 2016.At least,the last time i checked, 17 is still greater than 16
Lol! Sounds logical!
i was being carried away into another realm while reading this poem, the way the words convey the message makes one stick to the poem to get more of the message. it paints a vivid scenario of the event and puts the reader in the shoes of the character. I love the application of simplified language and tone, making it flow like the stream waters. the title is cool and attention-grabbing.
Welcome back, Micah! Lol!
This 2017 promises to be a good year…Abundance is mine and abundance is yours
Amen in Jesus’ name. Bless you, Rita!
Awwn, this piece almost brought tears to my eyes. Most times, we are always too fast to conclude on things around us that we don’t see the blessing right in front.
I love the poem and the way in which it paints an image with every sentence. You are truly gifted Aunt Edith!
Praise God! It’s easy to listen to the devil and feel frustrated (like the children of Israel in the desert) when your miracle is actually round the corner.
surely, I am wonderfully made. No matter how hard the situation may be, the faithful must surely prevail. thanks a lot for this aunty
Thank you too, Victor! You know some people name their children Prevailer, kind of like your name. And why not? We are more than conquerors as the Bible says.
Tears nearly dropped from my eyes when I read this poem. I was filled with guilt when I remembered it was another year. I asked myself, what have I done to deserve this gift of seeing a new year? Some people died on new year’s eve, does this mean that I’m better than them? What is it that God saw in me that made Him bless me with the gift of a new year? I know it’s gonna be hard but, this year, I promise I will live a righteous life, worthy of emulation. This year must surely bring about a turn around in my life… I believe it, so… It shall come to pass.
I say a thunderous “Amen”. How about making me your accountability buddy? Resolutions can be quickly forgotten, you know! You need someone to remind you….
that won’t be bad aunty
I hope it is not too late to say happy New Year!
No, my dear! Happy new year to you too!
Nice one, we should not let our past weigh us down
No, we shouldn’t. And we shouldn’t be quick to jump to negative conclusions.
Nice poem aunty
Bless you, Shalom!
I believe God’s plans for this year are still unfolding no matter what the economy says… God is good. Nice poem
I believe so too. Glory to God and blessings to you, my dear, in Jesus’ name.
I love this poem. The suspense towards the end was really captivating.
Halleluia!
too long we often look back at our times of sorrow intead of looking forward to the times of joy. i believe there is time for everything even for laughter and sorrow
I so much love this poem. Thank you ma for the advice; you are such an inspiration. I pray that God may keep you in good health for us and strengthen you as you continue with your work with him. Bless you Aunty.
Amen and Amen. Thank you so much for that prayer. You are soooo blessed!
I luv dis post cos it has inspired to tink positively
nice poem ma
This is so lovely. How i wish I’ve read it earlier than now. All the same, it hasn’t lost its value to me. I love it, it sounds so romantic.#lol# I’m just trying to feel how the guy felt when his long-awaited good news eventually came from the person he has ever wanted it to come from. Moral lesson: let’s not be too much in a haste in concluding things around us and others, because what God has in stock for us will always supersede what we have in stock for ourselves.
Nice one Aunty… Tho its cming late, happy new year ma.
I didn’t see this post on time but the post is still timeless to me… Some of my expectations this new year are not forthcoming yet but I will not speak too soon for God is still in charge… Nice one
I won’t speak too soon but I will definitely pray about it. Learning to patiently wait for God’s plan. Lifted by this poem.
Aww, this was such a nice story. I enjoyed it. I guess patience is key.
For me, it’s hope for the new semester. Irrespective of how terrible or stressful last semester was, I won’t judge the new semester before it has barely begun. Beautiful work in progress ma!
I still want to say happy new year, ma.
Speaking of the poem, it just reminded me of the new year eve which was my worst day ever.
I was trying to lit up my fireworks when I didn’t know I have missed my step and fell inside a gully where I was injured severely. The new year was a tale to me throughout.
The long anticipated meat, drinks, and the rest were shattered.
But I’m happy that I’m alive and kicking today.
Thank you ma.
A very nice and interesting piece ma.
☺happy New year Maam.
may this year be better than last year.
He got a really nice gift for new year. I wouldn’t blame him for the regrets he had but as they say, new year, new beginning. He should have confessed this saying but all the same, happiness found him just at the right time
The gentleman who proposed and felt rejected, did something very normal for people to do, though not necessarily WISE; he “assumed.” I am practicing the application, that “assumptions” though seemingly logical, are NOT indeed automatically FACTS and therefore are not part of the TRUTH that we should meditate on (Phil.4:8) Glad it worked out well for the gentleman in the end of the poem. I like happy endings!!!
Me too! It’s all in line with the admonition to be hopeful. May God give us many happy endings this year in Jesus’ name.
Wow!! This poem is rejuvenating. Indeed we shouldn’t be too fast to conclude on things. Though things dont look so promising at the moment, it is important to believe it will get better. Its such a wonderful poem written so beautifully and very easy to comprehend. Feeling exactly what the guy felt both in pain and in joy. Well done, Ma…Thanks for giving us a ray of hope ..those of us that started this year on a wrong foot…It will surely get better!! Happy new year ma!!!
This is me most times, before the mood in the poem changed to a lighter one.
I prefer to have more quiet than lousy moments.
Nice poem ma!
Words articulating effortlessly!
Nice one ma, I believe that this year is our year of greatness, it will be better than other years
Although at first things might not be looking good but we should hope and not just conclude that it will be a bad year or a boring one we ought to give thanks to God first,, kudos Ma
This post is still so relevant, over a year later. That for me shows good writing. The timelessness of the post. Lovely write up.
The poem though still in the making actually painted lots of pictures in my head.especially how new year eve always look like, drinking, discussing and making lots of noise in the name of having fun with friends and relatives, lolsss anyway thats the spirit of the new yr, and i pray this year brings more laughter and smiles to our faces. Well done ma
We shouldn’t be quick to make conclusions. Assumption is the lowest form of knowledge. Lots of lessons to learn from this post. Thank you ma.
Such lovely gift for the new year. I can only imagine the joy and excitement he felt when she came through. Lovely post ma.
Honesty, you should not speak soon when God has not spoken.The youngman felt that it was the right time to propose to his girlfriend without knowing that some factors need to be considered,and that was why the girlfriend did not accept immediately because she needed to consult God. Well done ma.
Amazing one…..don’t just conclude on a situation without paying clear attention to it.
As each year pass by, it is only but a wise decision to leave behind the pains and sorrows of the past year, focusing on the blessings the present year comes with.
Also, the few minute pause taken before a response could be life changing
We all should exhibit the culture of thinking before we speak. Ask God for his divine intervention before you do anything. We should not be quick to jump into conclusions.
Think before you Talk! Words spoken cannot be reversed.
DONT CONCLUDE ON YOUR SITUATION WHEN GOD HAS NOT GIVEN UP ON YOU. FOR THE LADIES, THINK VERY WELL BEFORE RESPONDING.DONT RUSH
Though we are in middle of the year, I still find this poem interesting and a reminder too because it reminds me that this passed months have not being the way I thought it will be but the other months remaining are full of hope, success and also challenges too. There is still light at the end of the tunnel.
It is very important to hear from God before taking decisions.