December 20, 2020 6:28 PM
I’m going to be brutally honest. 2020 took a lot out of all of us. I remember December 21, 2019 being so excited for a new year. I went to a New Year’s Eve party, left at 10:30 because I was anxious about driving, watched the count down and went promptly to sleep at 12:30. I chose my word of the year, genuine/sincere, and began a reading plan that would take me through the Bible in a year chronologically.
A general recap of the hardest things of 2020, for me personally:
Being isolated due to the pandemic made it difficult to find motivation to do anything, or to even want the pandemic to end. Overall desire to just give up.
A job I loved turned into something I dreaded
My brother moved away to college leaving me disoriented trying to learn how to cope with missing someone as well as constantly changing family dynamics without him at home.
Felt incredibly defeated after hard confrontations.
Struggling in school and balancing all of my activities and such.
A general recap of things I accomplished in 2020:
I started a podcast with Sophie
Sophie and I became super close
Learned how to cope with emotions in a healthy way
Learned how to communicate with people since I was isolated
Found a new job that I love and look forward to
Learned how to be content alone
I read the whole Bible chronologically
Fell in love with being active for the sake of being fit not because of how I want to look
Found my identity in Christ
Was genuine in everything I did
2020 took a hard hit on the world. More than ever it’s clear to see that the world as a whole is broken and disunited. I think that people had high expectations of this year. I know I did. I was pumped for the next “roaring twenties” and looking back what is easy to hear is the deafening silence after a destructive year. After a bomb goes off people in the vicinity typically hear a ringing sound, but if you watch videos of the explosion after it happens, it’s silent. This year feels a lot like a bomb. Like we’re all holding our breaths anticipating what’s coming next.
I think revival is coming, I think it’s actually partially here. Looking at this year can leave people feeling broken, hopeless, defeated, and overall leave everyone questioning why all of this happened. I don’t know the answer so I won’t act like I will. What I do know is that there is a source of hope that can never be diminished. If you’re a believer, the Lord is your hope. I know that when everything is changing, when everything seems to be falling apart, when nothing is the same. We have an unchanging Father who is watching over us, waiting on His timing to send his son back for His children.
The whole point of this post is this. Guard your heart going into 2021. It’s easy to think, “nothing can be as bad as 2020” when in reality, it can get worse. Yes, have good goals, dream big, and anticipate good things. Do not have insane expectations of the world just going back to normal and such. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” Your heart is where life comes from. Life does not stem from your friends, your family, your sports, jobs, school, or anything else. I pray that as 2021 comes up quickly we remember to guard our hearts and trust not only the Lord’s timing but also His process.
Praying,
Addison Wimbish
