Final Sunday of 2020

Whew! We made it to the last Sunday of 2020. When the first Sunday of the year arrived, I was bright eyed and bushy tailed. It was all about 20/20 vision. I had so much excitement. I just knew that this year was going to be a year of triumph for me. And it was. Just not in the way that I expected.

When March rolled around, the world changed for all of us. Although COVID-19 had been on the scene for months, new panic and concern stepped in. Businesses were closed and so were the doors of the church. Well, the physical doors of the church were closed. We moved from meeting in person every Sunday to worshipping together virtually.

Most churches were not prepared for the new way that we have had to operate. We spent most of the year adjusting to our new normal. Our living rooms and bedrooms became personal sanctuaries. Many of us traded fancy outfits for pajamas. I am sure that there are people that take the time to get dressed, but I quickly adapted to worship in my pajamas. I adjusted to teaching Sunday school from my dining room table. I embraced streaming our Sunday and Wednesday services online.

Although I had no clue what was in store for my life in 2020, the good Lord did. And I am glad that He did not give me a preview. I would have resisted it every step of the way. When you do not know what to expect, when you cannot see your way, you have no choice except to hold tightly to the hand that can guide you through.

God has led me through all these Sundays in 2020. And I am a better person because of it. I am entering the last Sunday of the year with greater peace, compassion, and more willingness to lay down my desires and pick up what the Lord has for me. As you reflect on the Sundays that you have experienced in 2020, I pray that you find yourself in a better position than you did when the year began. I pray that you too experience greater peace, compassion, and a willingness to pick up your cross (whatever that may be). #wepreach