Unstable. Unpredictable. Unprecedented. It's undeniable that this year has turned the entire world upside down in too many ways to count. But in the midst of all the upheaval, this year has been chock-full of new and wonderful things for me: a new nephew, new co-workers, new ministry strategies, a new home, a new "parenting" experience, new friends, a new role as a writer, new language studies, new medical research and health improvements, even new social media. All this newness, while largely unplanned on my part, has brought me so much joy I could not have imagined if things had kept on as they always have.
New things require change. Some unsettling is a necessity for new developments to move in and take over the old areas of our lives where we may have felt comfortable and secure in the familiar. If we could have seen into the future last first of January, I doubt any of us would have jumped for joy and shouted, "Bring it on!" Yet here we are, at the end of all the trials of 2020, still moving forward. There's no guarantee that 2021 will not bring more of the same challenges, but if there's one thing I've learned this year, it's that God remains the same, and not one headline is news to Him. He will lead us through just as He always has.
And just maybe, 2021 will be the year He comes again to make all things new. I'm waiting, hoping. Come quickly, Lord Jesus!