My Plans<2020
2020 has been one different kind of year, right?? I mean, who would have ever thought that things would get so crazy in such a short time? I remember coming into 2020 and seeing statements like “this my year!” or “20-20 vision in 2020!” Well, I don’t think anyone saw this type of year coming at all!
Literally, from the first week in January until now, there’s been major change that has swept the globe. Life this year can definitely be described as a roller coaster ride for sure. And just when we thought things were calming down and picking back up, Covid-19 became a thing.
And then the shelter in place orders locked us all in our homes.
From explosions in Lebanon to explosive corruption being exposed in the political realm.
From the loss of Kobe, his daughter and the others who were with him.
Or the loss of a personal loved one, the loss of a job or a retirement fund. To the millions of people who are unemployed and unsure of how to get their basic necessities.
To the countries at the brink of war. And then there were murder hornets. MURDER. HORNETS, y’all.
And so much more that could be said..
The fact is that that we’ve all experienced some sort of trauma this year. And let’s not start on the mental health aspect of the challenges that 2020 has provided. Only time will tell how many people, including myself, have experienced all time highs of crippling anxiety, depression, fear and heartache that these past few months have provided.
So, what do we do????
How are we supposed to deal with the rest of this year? I think the answer starts with something like this…
Over the past few months, I‘ve had some people ask about how I’ve been doing. In the great country of Texas, this isn’t anything new. “How are you doing?” is a greeting said to strangers & is usually said as you walk by each other. But these people genuinely wanted to know how things were going for me.
I noticed that my knee jerk reaction started to become “I’m taking it one day a time.” And then it hit me. That’s the answer or at least a part of it. We may not know what the rest of this year holds for us. I’m hoping and praying that it’s full of good news and that we enter 2021 on a high note!
But there’s no way to know unfortunately. And for people like me who love to plan things and their life in general, that’s so frustrating! But what we can do is this:
We can decide to make TODAY the best that it can be.
Think about it. Sure, we all plan for the days and weeks ahead. But today is all that we really have in our hands, right? So, what are you going to do with it?
Now am I saying that there isn’t real pain that some people are facing? No. And I would be naive to pretend that some people aren’t facing very real & difficult problems.
But each day, you and I get to decide whether we will find reasons to have joy or not. And most of the time, that joy is found in the small things that we take for granted. Like being able to see the sunshine. That we are alive. That we have family and friends who love us.
For example, I’m living and breathing. I’m not in a hospital. I have a home to live in that allows me to have a great view of each sunrise and sunset. I’ve been blessed with a beautiful wife that I get to come home to. I’ve been blessed with a few great friends. I have all that I need and more than enough to share. Sports are back on TV. Whataburger & Chic-Fil-A are still open!
There are so many reasons to celebrate or be thankful. And sometimes the best emotional pain medicine that we can give ourselves is to find a reason to be grateful.
For you, you may have to take each day of 2020 by going from one hour to the next. And that’s totally ok! But today doesn’t have to be full of hopelessness. Today could be the start of something great in your life. And if it isn’t and you are given tomorrow, look for the joy in that day as well!
Like I said, I don’t know what the rest of this year holds, But I know the One who holds it. And I also know that the chaos of 2020 will end. Better days are on the way. The rain will stop. The sun will shine again.