There are just a few more hours left of 2020. I am not quite ready to breathe a sigh of relief until 2021 proves more agreeable than 2020. I guess you could say that 2020 has left me a little more cynical than I used to be before this year’s series of upheavals. But it has also taught me some important lessons that I hope to carry into the future.
- Go for your dreams even if the future seems to say, “Why bother?” With all the uncertainty of the year, I took a chance and went back to school. I started a new business, built a website, and continued learning new things. Will any of this matter in the future? I don’t know, but that’s not the point of learning and growing. Even if the future doesn’t turn out to be what I hope it will, the process will prove to be beneficial. Don’t give up on your dreams. No one knows what the future holds even in “normal” years.
- Stay liquid. (If this sounds familiar, you might be a fan of the show S.W.A.T.) I like structure and routine, but this year I had learned to go with the flow. Changes will happen, they will make you work and think in a different way than you are used to, but there are opportunities in these changes. It’s ok to be disappointed, but don’t let the unexpected ruin your outlook and steal your joy. Stay liquid, adjust your plan, relax and let God work it out.
- Stand firm. This seems like a contradiction to lesson 2, but it is a continuation. You must know when and where to stand so you don’t get swept away by the floodwaters. Stand on the Rock, build your home there, and you will be able to withstand the storms.
- Question everything the world tells you with logic, reason, and use of your own judgement. Let people tell you what they think, listen to their point of view, but then decide on your own…or more precisely, decide with the leading of the Spirit. For only God knows the truth of what is happening in this crazy world.
- Trust God in all circumstances. No matter how out of control the world seems and how upside down your life feels, God is in control, and He will bring about His purpose on this earth. There will be trouble, but take heart, God has overcome the world.
Word of 2021
For the past six or seven years, I have had a word of the year that I try to keep in front of me. This word helps me focus on something throughout the year. Usually, I “find” my word a few months before the end of the year. But this year it took me until December 30th to settle on a word that fit. I wanted a word that reminded me who I belonged to and that really spoke to me about what it means to belong to Jesus. The word I chose is SEALED.
SEALED reminds me that I am:
Saved by the grace of God through Jesus Christ.
Entrusted with the light of the Holy Spirit.
Accepted by the most high God.
Loved beyond comprehension.
Equipped for His purpose.
Dedicated to His glory.
Knowing who I am and whose I am is the only way I can face the uncertainties of life. Embracing my identity as a child of God brings me peace, joy, and confidence that my good Father will always guide, protect, and love me. Remembering that I am created in the image of God, with His seal upon me, gives me purpose and resolve. I love Jesus, I belong to God, the Holy Spirit lives in me. Circumstances cannot alter who I am. I am His.
Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Walk with Him.