2020 Hindsight

Like so many, I am looking back at 2020 as it draws to a close and wondering at the chaos that characterized it. High on the list is the pandemic, which overwhelmed the entire world and still does. The numbers of people affected are staggering, especially in the United States. So many lives lost. The economy took a major hit and millions experienced job loss, instability, and a new level of fear.  

I note the protests of 2020. Racism was confronted in a movement of many people of different colors and ethnicities. Tension reigned, yet large numbers of persons came together with a unified purpose, and old ideas and symbols were toppled. It was a time that was overdue.

Politics also dominated our nation during a contentious election that pitted even family members against each other. Sadly, Christians were not immune, which was a very disturbing sight. Protests and violence erupted, and I admit, I had very strong feelings myself. But as 2020 closes, we need to drop the rhetoric and move as one body to help heal our nation, not continue divisive arguments. 

On a personal level, while all these events affected me, I also had my share of trauma that shaped my year. I suffered a bad leg break and was disabled for over four months. Pain and a degree of suffering shadowed my life for a season. I also retired in the midst of everything. Many congratulated me on the next stage of my life, but I still have mixed emotions about the decision. I'm unsettled still. 

I have no doubt my readers could share stories of 2020 nightmares. But I believe we can also look back and see positives, even if you can only say you learned to make bread. I learned patience in suffering. I've suffered before on numerous occasions, but I was completely unprepared for what life threw at me. I was stuck at home, as were many, with limited exposure to others. Yet God was in the midst, and there were opportunities to be in his presence in fresh ways. While there was stress, there was also peace in knowing God had everything under control, even if we didn't see or feel it. You may fear the world is going to hell in a handbasket, but you are still safe in God's hands. 

Unprecedented upheavals have punctuated human history. We are not immune to them, but we can keep faith, hope, and love. The greatest of these is love. Love drives us to better the lives of others in this world. Love compels us to approach our heavenly Father and seek not just solace but also our marching orders for the coming year.

I have no idea what we will face in 2021. Life could be even more challenging. Or we could see better times. In The Lord of the Rings, Gandalf listens to Frodo say he wished he had not lived to experience such a difficult journey. His reply? "So do all who live to see such times, but it is not for us to choose our times, but to choose what we will do with the time we are given." Spoken like the Lord. 

Our tomorrows are shaped by what we choose as we journey the path God has laid out for us. May this coming year find you choosing the road less traveled trusting in the goodness of God.