2020, literally, went out with a bang last night. A storm blew in yesterday evening bringing with it lightening that lit up the sky and claps of thunder unlike any I had ever heard before. Sitting around our living room with our three oldest, we all joked that 2020 was throwing a temper tantrum as it made its way into history.
It has been a year.
I don’t need to go into details and rehash all the challenges we’ve faced over the past 365 days. We all know. We all have our stories. We’ve all navigated our way through.
Last week, with Christmas lights still twinkling and carols still echoing throughout the house, I did a lot of reflection and forward looking.
2020 was hard…but it was also so good.
Unprecedented in its challenges…but also unprecedented in its blessings.
Unexpected twists and turns…coupled with unexpected doors of opportunity.
Uncertainty met with a strong and certain foundation.
“For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver. You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.” Psalm 66:10-12
I am pretty sure there were multiple times when I felt like 2020 was some kind of prison sentence. Can you relate? Quarantines and lockdowns were a figurative prison sentence that none of us were prepared for. Emotionally, and not just because of a worldwide pandemic, but because of personal challenges, disappointments, and unmet expectations, many of us felt like we were walking through the fire and wading through rough waters.
Hard. Hard. Hard.
Now we are looking ahead at the year 2021 with high hopes and greater expectations.
And yet…in my time of quiet reflection I came to grips with the possibility that things might not get better. Things might not somehow quickly turn around. That Covid-19 may not magically disappear and ride off into the sunset. Situations could get harder before they start getting better.
And so, my question to myself was: “How am I going to move forward?”
My answer: “With an attitude and posture of abundance.”
One shiny silver lining in the midst of such a challenging year was the abundance of fruit that came out of all of the hard.
From a time of testing came a produce of grace, strength, faith, and conviction.
The burdens that we carried have equipped us to continue moving forward with expectations adjusted and hearts receptive.
Moving into 2021, we see the reality and we see the potential.
My word for 2020 was remain.
My word for 2021 is abundance.
Abundance is defined as “an extremely plentiful or oversufficient quantity or supply; overflowing fullness”.
Abundance can mean a physical display of plenty, but it can also mean an overflow of fullness internally.
This year I will be documenting the moments of abundance that I see flowing out of what has been a difficult season, and what could potentially be an ongoing time of challenge.
What God is cultivating behind the scenes is far more precious to me than what is actually happening in the day-to-day happenings and news headlines. The matters of the heart far outweigh the circumstances. He has brought us to a place of abundance. And not because of an election, a vaccine, an economic boost (or the promise of one), but because of his presence and faithfulness.
“He has brought us to a place of abundance…” He has brought us into a season of overflowing fullness.
This year my goal is to post a blog twice a month. Once a month I will focus on my word for 2021, abundance, and for the secondary post I will be documenting our journey with Jasper, and how we are learning to navigate life, parenting, missions, and ministry with a child with special needs. I have so much to learn.
Happy New Year to you and may we all see an overflow of fullness in the big and small, the highs and lows, the upside downs and sideways that this new year brings.
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