ビジネスかプライベートかに関係なく、人がやりたがらない仕事や役割を担うという事はとても尊い事だと思う。いわゆる“キツい”仕事になると思うが、それを少しも大変と思わないでやり通せる人は尊敬に値する。もっとも、大変と思わないからやれるのかもしれないが。そういう人は一般的な価値観からは良い意味で少しズレがあるのかもしれない。
　働く時間についても同様のことが言えるのだろう。誰も働きたいと思わないような深夜から翌朝にかけての夜間帯や、或いは盆や正月など、多くの人が休んでいる時に敢えて働くという人。あ！もしかしたらそういう時間に自分が働いていることをアピールしたいという思惑があるのだろうか。自分は立派な人間だぞと周りに認知させ、自分に一目置かせるような心理が働いているのかもしれない。いずれにしても人が休んでいる時間帯でしっかり働くことができるのなら、理由はどうあれ、やっていることはとても立派で誰かの役に立っていると思う。

　しかし考えてみると、夜間に働くことが辛いと思っている人は、私が思うほどそんなに多くないのかもしれない。“夜型”という人はいる。実際に夜になると頭が冴えて集中力が増し、仕事がはかどることは私にもある。ただ日中に働いている人に限って言えば、そのまま寝ずに深夜も働くことは辛い事であろう。それが何日も続くようなら体がもたない。
　現実に夜間の活動が得意な人もいるわけで、自分の常識や思いを完全な前提として考えることは良くないと再認識する。人間の性質は多種多様であることを忘れてはいけない。

　実は昨日の深夜、つまり12月31日大晦日の、2024年が終わる直前から年明けにかけての3時間ほど、たった一人で働いてみた。恐らく誰も働きたがらない時間であろう。理由は自分でもよく分からない。周りから立派に見られたいと思ったのかもしれないし、それまでそんなことはしたことがなかったので好奇心があったのかもしれない。「オレはこんな時間にも頑張って働いているんだ！」と自分を誇りたかったのかもしれないし、一人で寂しい気持ちに落ち込みたかったのかもしれない。私は何故かたまに寂しくなりたくなることがある。或いはこれら全部が理由の一部ずつだろうか。本当によく分からないが、やろうと決めた時はあまり深く考えず、神さまの導きを感じたのでそれに従った。
　そして実際に年が明け、心を傾けて頑張った仕事を終えてみて感じたのは、落ち着いた達成感だった。誰もしたくないことをできた自分をジワっと誇らしく思い、気持ちが良かった。やってみて良かったと思う。

　そのようにして始まったこの2025年という年を、いかに過ごそうかと考えてみた。昨年同様に、何かをしようとする時にはあまり考えず、御声に耳を澄まし、聴き従う生き方を続けることが良いかと思う。自分で何か計画を立てて実行しても、決まって良いことが起きない。
　私が全てを神さまに委ね、それが本当にできるのなら、神さまが私をどうにかしてくださる。お祈りをしっかりして自分の願いを求め続けようとは思うけれど、もしそれが愚かな願いならば、きっと神さまが無視して御心を成してくださる。それにもまた付き従おうと思う。そして、そうすることで私にとって飛躍の年にしてみたい。全ての戦争が終わり、平和が一日も私たちに訪れますように。

　良い年でありますように

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continuing into the new year

　Regardless of whether it is business or personal, I think it is a very noble thing to take on a job or role that others do not want to do. It may be what we call “hard” work, but those who are able to do it without feeling the least bit hard are worthy of respect. But perhaps they can do it because they don’t think it’s hard work. Such a person may be a little out of touch with general values, but in a good way.
　The same can be said about working hours. People who dare to work late at night, from midnight to the next morning, when no one wants to work, or at times when many people are absent, such as Bon and New Year’s holidays. Ah! Perhaps they want to show that they are working during those hours? Maybe they are trying to make people around them recognize that they are a respectable person and give themselves a second glance. In any case, if you are able to work during the hours when others are resting, whatever the reason, I think what you are doing is very admirable and useful to someone.

　However, when I think about it, there may not be as many people who find it hard to work at night as I would like to think. There are people who are “night people. In fact, I too have found that my mind is clearer and more focused at night, which helps me get more done. However, for those who work during the day, it must be difficult to work late at night without sleeping. If it continues for days on end, the body will not be able to handle it.
　In reality, there are some people who are good at nighttime activities, and I recognize once again that it is not good to make complete assumptions based on one’s own common sense and thoughts. We must not forget that human nature is diverse.

　As a matter of fact, I worked alone for about three hours late last night, that is, on New Year’s Eve, December 31, between just before the year 2024 ended and just after the new year began. Probably, this is the time when no one wants to work. I don’t know why I did it. Maybe I wanted to be seen as respectable by others, or maybe I was curious because I had never done anything like that before. I might have wanted to be proud of myself, “I’m working hard at these hours!”, or maybe I wanted to feel lonely and depressed. I sometimes want to be lonely for some reason. Or maybe all of these are part and parcel of the reason. I really don’t know, but when I decided to do it, I didn’t think too much about it and I felt God’s guidance, so I followed it.
　And when the new year actually began and I finished the work I had put my heart and soul into, what I felt was a calm sense of accomplishment. I felt jittery and proud of myself for having done what no one else wanted to do, and it felt good. I was glad I did it.

　I thought about how I would spend this year, 2025, which began in that way. Like last year, I think it would be good to continue to live a life of listening and obeying God’s voice, without thinking too much when I try to do something. Even if I make a plan and carry it out by myself, nothing good will happen.
　If I surrender everything to God and I can really do that, He will do something about me. I will continue to pray and ask for what I want, but if it is a foolish wish, I am sure God will ignore it and do His will. I will also follow it. And in doing so, I would like to make this a leap year for me. May all wars end and peace come to us soon.

　Wishing you a happy new year!