With galvinized gratitude, I'll carry these five truths into 2021 come what may.
1. Nothing is certain. Nothing at all is ever certain. We get our hopes up, and we get let down. Repetitively. We change everything about our habits for an unseen danger, and it doesn't seem to make much difference at all.
2. I am an idolater. I depend on boundaries and agendas. I long for predictability that I call peace. I love and live for plans of my own design. How do I know these are potential idols? Because when they toppled to the ground this year, my world went spinning. Had my hope and trust truly rested in the sovereign faithfulness of Jesus, I could have avoided a good bit of the chaos. Fortunately, I have been able to wade through the rubble to find Him reigning unscathed, holding my hand all along, offering me His lordship once again.
3. I do NOT wish to live as a cave-dwelling hermit. The joke has been: "If you were trapped on a deserted island alone ..." and I pounce in to say, "Stop right there! That sounds amazing!" Thanks to covid, I endured 18 days of solitude, nowhere to go, no responsibilities, and varying levels of health. It was awful. Solitude has lost its lure, and I now whole-heartedly crave communion and fellowship. Please don't mistake this as a longing for crowds ... I hated them before 2020 and I'll maintain my aversion henceforth.
4. I'm not alone. Yes, Immanuel, God is here, and all the Merry Christmas cards. But I'm also not the only one. I'm not alone as I have faced ridiculous challenges this year. You have too. So have they. All around me I see people who are grieving and adjusting and wrestling with reality. People are down-trodden with the cumbersome task of holding out hope. There are many times I have had just enough faith to pipe some courage into a stream of texts, just enough memory to recite promises over the phone, just enough grace to show patience and partnership. And there were a hundred more times when friends and family have offered the truth and love I need in that precise moment. God is on the move and He's still working in and through His loved ones.
5. Teachability is critical. Look alive. Live and learn. It is all gonna be good.
