Front Parking Spot- A Break in the Clouds of 2020

The other day I saw a T-shirt that summarized the feelings of many about 2020.  It was the Grinch holding a mask instead of an ornament with the words “2020, Stink, Stank, Stunk” front and center.

It is undeniable that many people have suffered extreme circumstances of great loss, whether it was medically, financially, or personally. My heart goes out to each person who has dealt with the wrath of 2020. My prayer is that through it all they develop a closer bond with our Lord, Jesus Christ, who maintains His dominion over our world, and will always remain on His throne.

What about the moments of this year, where the clouds broke and the sun shone through? There are many bright sides of 2020 if we really reflect and think about it. Here are seven shining moments of a dark year from my perspective.

1. Family Focus – In the absence of our normal routine, we were forced to become creative with new family activities. We found new walks, recipes, talents, games and ways to communicate. Friends and outside influences diminished, compelling families to take a deeper dive with one another and come together to fill the void.

2. New Skills - Educators and students across the world faced the formidable mountain of adapting to teaching and learning virtually. Before this year, not only was virtual learning not commonplace, it was intimidating. Now, switching to virtual can happen in 24 hours. Conventional learning has changed forever, as we all have been forced into this much sooner than we otherwise would have. We have embraced the growth mindset. At the same time, have we lost the beloved “Snow Days” of school cancellation at the hands of virtual learning? Maybe not, if the power goes out.

3. Germ Prevention - Avoiding germs is now a new way of life. As a teacher, in past years I would throw away countless, expired hand sanitizers yearly. No one ever used them. Telling children to cover their sneezes never sunk in, neither did washing their hands before lunch. Now they ask me for time away to wash their hands. Also, most kids have a personal hand sanitizer in their desk. I am very thankful to the hand sanitizer companies who make fresh smelling and non-sticky hand sanitizers. Who knew this would ever be a topic of discussion, or that I might have a preference?

4. Human Spirit of Resiliency – History has proven that when challenged, we humans rise up to the situation and embrace it. We are wired this way by our Creator. When faced with obstacles to our ability to visit loved ones and maintain connections, we made it work through family Zoom calls, or virtual social events. Some even braved the outside world, donning masks, maintaining distance, bathing in sanitizer and went anyway. Thank you, Southwest Airlines for making me feel safe on your planes when this Grandma needed to see her Granddaughter.

5. Church Online -There are so many pastors across our globe that I have been wanting to hear preach. Now this can happen from the comfort of my own home at a convenient time. This has broadened my biblical perspective and provided spiritual growth. Thank you to Nicky Gumbel from HTB London, https://www.htb.org/  Joby Martin from Church of the Eleven 22, Jacksonville. FL https://www.coe22.com/ and my own Pastor, Clay Smith of Johnson Ferry, Marietta, GA http://www.johnsonferry.org/  who have given me this privilege.

6. How We Work - Over the past couple of weeks, we have had the opportunity to re-establish a room in our home for its intended purpose, a home office. It has been fun to see this room’s transformation. It is a great place for daily Microsoft Teams and Zoom calls. Not to mention a commute without traffic issues or any gas usage. I am sure we aren’t the only ones calling our internet company for added bandwidth.

7. Flexibility - This word probably sums up 2020 the best. I think all of us can easily think of a situation where without flexibility, we would have broken. My niece had to reschedule her wedding, venue and guest list just like many other brides across the world. She would be the first to say that allowing Jesus to make a way, gave her the most perfect wedding she could ever have imagined. She just needed to have faith in God’s perfect plan and relinquish all control to Him. I think we all realized very early on, that flexibility and faith would rule the day.

I challenge you to look at 2020 from your own perspective and focus in on the good. How did you grow? What did you learn? How are you a better person from it? If we focus on the “Front Parking Spot” rather than the back rows of the lot, you will see how the good can outshine the bad. My wish for you is that the growth you experienced in 2020 will lead you to a look at life differently and allow you to enjoy “2021-derful!”  Recognizing that we have been transformed into our better selves is our way of choosing to see the sun breaking through the clouds.

Happy New Year! 

Proverbs 4:18 (NIV)- “The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.”