Faith is moving forward even when things don’t make sense, trusting that in hindsight...everything will become clear.”
Mandy Hale
Hindsight is the “perception of the nature of an event after it has happened.” People said 2020 would be a year of clearer vision. In a way it was, as I muddled through the pandemic and its repercussions. I discovered more clearly the character inside me by what rose to the top, when heat in the form of loss, was turned up higher. Isolation, loved ones passing, not attending public church services, choosing to wear a mask and social distancing in order to protect others and myself, the loss of planned vacations, and what I used to call a normal life. Loss puts things in perspective, levels the ground we stand upon, and needs to be grieved.
My verse for 2020 was “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16). This guided and encouraged me on the days when I fought against fear, anxiety, and disappointment. But it was James 4:13-15 that the Lord kept highlighting to me throughout the year. These verses discouraged boasting about tomorrow, for we “do not know what tomorrow will
bring.”
Last spring a friend mentioned the phrase “a handler clipping the bird’s wings” as a possible explanation as to why God had allowed the pandemic. A bird’s handler does this as a form of protection, to limit their access to danger and it forces the bird to be more dependent on its owner which enhances the bond between the human and the bird. Could it be that one of the primary reasons God permitted this year to look the way it did was to encourage us to draw closer to Him and become more dependent upon Him?
Sometimes we must look back before we can move forward. Before the year 2020 ends, take some time to reflect on the year: who God was for you, what you learned, and who you became as a result of all that took place. Acknowledge how He’s working everything for the good to those who love Him (Romans 8:28). I encourage you to close out 2020 by giving God thanks before you ring in the New Year.
“I have learned that faith means trusting in advance what will only make sense in reverse.”
Philip Yancey
Relevant Reflections:
What did the Lord teach you during this difficult year?
Who was God for you? What attributes did He display to you?
How did you spiritually and emotionally mature in 2020?
Comments