Leaving 2020 With One Thing to Hold Onto
Twenty-twenty is over. Finally.
Not the jokes or memes. Not the social, economic, or political repercussions. And certainly not the coronavirus.
After nine months of disappointment, whatever hope we are entering 2021 with is guarded at best.
There are so many parts of 2020 we want to say goodbye to forever, most of which are still with us as the long-awaited New Year begins.
It is easy to wonder where it will all end. Particularly in light of recent political events.
Still, some glimmers of hope have heralded in the New Year. The Bethlehem Star. Another round of stimulus checks. And the long-awaited vaccine, which has already been delivered to frontline workers. It won’t be long before the rest of us can join them.
And once the rate of resistance outpaces the rate of spread, our new year may eventually bring us to the day we can leave the pandemic in the past.
A day when we will finally be able to put down the masks that have evoked so much ire. Maybe with fanfare. Or even a bonfire.
A day when the scourge of 2020 will finally be hindsight.
But for now, as much as we’d like to activate a memory wipe on 2020 and all of its confining accessories and confounding headlines, I want to challenge each of you to consider the one part of the year worth holding onto.
The part that kept us going when we were tired and wanted to quit.
The part that kept us adapting to ever-changing demands that would have otherwise been unthinkable.
The part that helped us keep it together long enough to make it here: to a brand new year.
Faith.
One of the simplest, most powerful weapons in our arsenals.
A weapon which saw plenty of use through the slings and arrows of a truly outrageous chapter of history.
A weapon that was sharpened and refined like gold through the fire.
A weapon that has left us stronger and more prepared for any challenge we might face in the New Year.
But most of all, a power that will leave us grateful and changed when our long-awaited prayers are answered.
A power that will never leave us. That will only make us better and stronger as it draws us closer to God, our captain through every untested tide.
Work looks a lot like play for Kristi Cain and includes inspirational blogging, authoring Crosswalk articles, writing fantastical stories of Christian fiction, teaching English to teens, and being able to say, “I’m a former journalist.” Home is nestled in the Smoky Mountain foothills with her husband and teenage children. If you ever want a little encouragement in your day, visit her blog. You can also check out her website for her latest happenings and join her Facebook group, a lively, faith-based community.
