What 2020 is Teaching Me.

“If you want to change the world, go home and love your family”
Mother Teresa

We’ve been through this before, friends, and I’ll say it again—2020 was quite the year! There was some very low lows, but also some very high highs, and I think it’s important to remember both! I’m taking this week to reflect, rest, and prepare for the new year. I hope that this holiday season has been restful for you, filled with people that matter, even at a distance. I hope that you’ve eaten cookies and turkey and mashed potatoes without one concern for how many calories were consumed. I hope that you have slept in at least one day, rose with no agenda other than to just… be. Here’s what 2020 is teaching me.

2020 is teaching me that there is nothing more important than faith and family (hence the quote from above). This year, I was quarantined with the love of my life and I truly treasured our time together. We’ll probably never have that opportunity again. We both lived and worked from home and it was beautiful. The world seemed to be crashing around us, but if there’s one take-away I have from that season, it’s that I was allowed time with my wife that I normally would’ve never gotten.

2020 is teaching me about rhythms. The world is training us to run a rat race, non-stop. Holidays aren’t holidays anymore. Evenings after work are filled with email notifications and I just don’t think this is how we’re designed to live. So, I’m learning to turn to things off when I need to rest.

2020 is teaching me a new love for cooking. I dabbled into the sourdough craze before it was cool. I started my sourdough starter in February, completely oblivious to the looming pandemic that was coming in the next month. 2020 gave me (and is still giving me) the opportunity to try new recipes and time to perfect old recipes.

2020 is teaching me to make my health a priority. I began my attempt to change my lifestyle in January of 2019, and 2020 just further carried me through that journey. This year, I’ve learned to love running—to truly crave it as a form of therapy. It’s no longer just about exercise, although some days it still feels that way. It’s about feeding my soul.

2020 is teaching me that a healthy balance is key. Along with making my health a priority, if you think I’m going through this life without donuts, you’d be mistaken. This year, I’ve learned that moderation is key when maintaining a certain weight. I’m still learning this, but I’ve come leaps and bounds this year.

2020 is teaching me to hold disappointment in one hand, and gratitude in the other. We can truly have both. There’s something beautiful about looking disappointment straight in the eye with gratitude surrounding you.

2020 is teaching me that our world—our ecosystem, our government, our strands of communication, and above all, humanity are very fragile.

2020 is teaching me that God is still up to something in our lives. We’re on the cusp of a transitional year—I can feel it. I also imagine it won’t look like anything we have planned, as in true fashion. I’ve been around long enough to know that typically, God never opens doors the way we expect them to be opened, but they’re always better than what we think.

I hope in the midst of all the negative events this year, you will choose to see the positive and walk boldly in 2021.