The Local News - End of Year Local News DEC 2018 ENG FN | Page 9

End of year special edition
LOCAL NEWS | UCKG.ORG | 020 7686 6000
H
ave you heard about the genius
of the lamp? No, it is not the blue
one that you are thinking about. We
are talking about Thomas Edison,
the American inventor who created
the light bulb, a simple but essential
device that turns electricity into
light. It was very practical as it
brought safety to the people who
no longer had to use fire to get light.
What a luminous idea it was!
The function of a light bulb is to
illuminate a dark place to bring light
to that which is dark and absent of
light. A light bulb which is blown
cannot be used. If it isn’t connected
to a source of power it won’t work
either though it’s been invented to
do so. Similarly, without a source
of power, life too can become dark
– darkness which could come in
the form of: sadness, confusion,
emptiness etc.
Most people want their New Year to
be filled with light, they want to shine
– to reach their goals, to be happy,
to be content and to experience
new things. Maybe this year you
have achieved it all, but perhaps
your expectations for 2018 were
not met, perhaps some things kind
of worked but others didn’t happen
in accordance with your plans.
Some people may be married but not
truly happy, some are highly educated
yet not well paid, some have a house
which is not yet a ‘home’. Have you
achieved many things but are still not
completely satisfied? Are you almost
shining but not quite there yet? If so,
have you ever asked yourself what
your source of power has been?
Where do you ‘plug in’?
On Monday 31 December 2018 you
will have the opportunity to connect
with the true source of power – God.
We will hold a special New Year’s Eve
Night Vigil in an atmosphere that
encourages you to move to a new
chapter shining as bright as you have
always wanted – the way in which you
are supposed to and were made to.
Even if your 2018 was a successful
year, you will be empowered to
achieve even greater things in 2019!
We welcome you with open arms.
We believe that God always wanted
you to shine and light up your
own world and the world of those
around you.
I was made to shine
‘H
appiness seemed always out of my reach. I
spent my days pitying myself and envying
those who seemingly had what I wanted. I put on an
“everything’s fine” front, but inside a deep sadness
engulfed my entire being. The absence and lack of
involvement of my father as a child left me yearning
for more attention and love. My mother worked
extremely hard to provide for me – which I am forever
grateful for – but not having her around much meant
that there were times when I felt extremely alone.
I DID EVERYTHING
IN MY POWER TO
CONNECT TO
HIS POWER
As a teenager, the “Why me?” question became the
norm. Why did I feel like my soul was in anguish?
Why did it hurt so deeply? Why did emptiness
overwhelm me? Should I just end my life or was there
still something to live for? My answer came during
a meeting at the Universal Church. It was there that
I saw that it was possible for a person’s life to really
change – so many people around me had managed
to do it – and so the first New Year’s Night Vigil that I
attended became the turning point I needed. I realised
that the answer was within me all along.
From that point on, ending my life was no longer an option
and the anger that had festered slowly evaporated – for
good. In fact, anger became revolt and that indignation
against living a miserable life became motivation to
make things happen instead of hoping for the best.
The Night Vigil marked a new beginning for me and
the Universal Church became my life line. Everything
I had so desperately been searching for was now in
me and with me. The doubt, the tears, the pain and
the frustration were now in my past. I focused on
strengthening my faith in God – I did everything in my
power to connect to His power. The more I did this,
the more I felt defined in myself. It was as if a new,
happier me was being born.
My past no longer mattered and for the first time in a
long time, I was filled with life. Although I was not yet
where I wanted to be, I persisted enough to experience
my truth, the truth that showed me this: when you
believe in God, the impossible can happen.
It’s not to say that my journey came without difficulties.
Of course there were times when I questioned my
progress. However, the support system around me
at the Universal Church led me out of the cage I had
created for myself. Today, I can truly say that I am free.
Things around me might not always go well, but that no
longer breaks me. My faith and inner peace are never
compromised. I wouldn’t trade this for anything.’
Anifa Da Silva
9