So at first, I was going to name this blog post ‘what the heck was that???’ because 2020 really what the heck was that? I’m glad 2020 is finally over. what. a. relief.
It was a beautiful and disastrous year. It was chaotic and sad. But it was fun and refreshing. We lost a lot and gained a lot. We lived through great historic events and terrible historic events. And nothing will be the same. So I thought ‘what the heck was that???’ would be a fitting name.
But after talking to God, I decided that I wanted to give you guys something a little bit deeper. For the original blog post I was going to go through a reflection of 2020: my worst moment, my best moment, etc. I was going to briefly discuss four things that I learned. Maybe I will still tell you guys about those other three lessons that I’ve learned, but God really spoke to me and told me to focus on one.
And it’s the most important lesson that I learned:
Joy is permanent.
God places joy within us, and no one can take it away. It’s always there. That’s why even in the deepest, scariest, and saddest of moments, you can still find joy because it’s always there. It never runs out, and you cannot lose it.
I’ve also learned another thing:
You have to cling to joy.
Joy lives within us but we have to choose to hold onto it, to tap into it. Sometimes you have to call yourself to joy. Sometimes you have to call joy to yourself. Yes, life throws us into hard situations where joy may be hard to find, but if you look for joy, you will find joy, and when you do find joy, you have to cling to it.
The final thing I learned:
Joy isn’t just a feeling it’s a perspective.
We have to see the joy in all things, in all places, in all circumstances. We have to live from a place of joy.
Ultimately, 2020 taught me how to count it all joy: the good times, the bad times. The abundance, the lack. the sun, the rain. The blessings, the heartbreaks, the pain, the healing. whether I’m happy or sad or comfortable or uncomfortable. whether I’m waiting or receiving. I count ALL of it as joy. All of it is important. All of it is necessary.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James 1:1-4 (NIV)
Hey, if you’re reading this, Congrats. You made it through the worst year of the 21st century. (this is something to praise God for, a lot of people didn’t make it).
Oh and one more thing… if you can make it through 2020, you can make it through anything.
