Together, we near the end of 2020.

There’s a part of me that shivers and wonders if talking about it might add an extra day – psych! The year’s longer than any other on a calendar, too, not just in your head! – but I’d be remiss if I said that forgetting about 2020 altogether would be a great decision. So much happened this year, whether for the good, the bad, or the ugly. While pain ran rampant and the damage will take time to heal, I think we can glean a few things from 2020 even as we save the last bits of ourselves and cross into 2021.

Here’s a snapshot of my leaderboard.

• I have so much to learn. The social unrest of this year, whether racial or political, pointed out some of my blind spots. When I began curating my social media feed, I noticed I followed a lot of people who looked like me and who did what I wanted to do. While some influence in the way I’m wired and the way I do life is important, I realized I also wanted to be learning, and that meant filling my feed with more perspectives and lifestyles different from mine. I’ve followed more people of color, more people of faith, and more writers in different genres, and I’ve read more of their books and articles, too. The amount of information to absorb reminds me how small I am. That keeps me in a posture to listen before I speak. I have a lot to learn, and learning reminds me of that fact day in and day out. (For a full list of what I read this year, stay tuned for my upcoming newsletter, where I’ll share more about what I read each month and my thoughts and reflections on the works.)
• Even the smallest things are not to be taken for granted. My husband and I got married in May, and we realized that while our priority was on our coming marriage, we would need to give up our expectations of how we thought the day would look. Our guests, my dress, his tux, the food we’d eat, the location, and so much more became optional, something we might have to figure out on the fly rather than a done deal. That day was a noteworthy example, but the practice hasn’t changed since March: school years, workplace setups, sport seasons, attention to health, relationships, and more have all been forced to adapt to meet the changing precautions and rising stress levels of our time. As we’ve made our changes, the treat of a cookie and the warmth of a hug carry more meaning for me. The little things weren’t little this year, and I’ve grateful to count lots of little things that have made me smile.
• People mean more. Yes, our plans have had to change, and with that, our priorities have been put under fire. Would I rather keep a vice-like grip on my plans, or provide care for a family member? Would I rather speak cruelly about a neighbor for thinking differently than I do, or believe that the person needs love and relationship as much as I do? Will I ignore someone with a different experience from mine, or take the opportunity to listen? While our conditions have changed, people are still here, and that has challenged me in how I view and treat people. I am no more entitled to life (or, a certain quality of life) than anyone else, and I can use the resources and energy I have to bless others rather than hurt them or make their lives more difficult.

This year has, at times, run me ragged, knocked me over, stood me back up, and done its dirty work all over again. At other times, the year has provided a laboratory for me to consider life in a different way, reimagine “normal”, and reconsider my priorities as I relate to other people and do the work that is in front of me.

I hope, regardless of how the year looked for you, you can take what you’ve gleaned and give it to God, who can bring beauty from pain. I don’t know the half of what God had in mind with this year, but I know that His presence is the presence I want in my life. He alone makes all things new, whether the calendar, our world, or my heart.

Happy, joyful, hopeful New Year to you.