Hindsight is 20/20. 2020 is in Hindsight! - Joanna Snyder
By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted: but it is overthrown by the mouth of the
wicked. Proverbs 11:11
I am so excited NOT to talk about 2020 anymore. Every time you turn around, someone else is
complaining about 2020 and all the strangeness that ensued! Granted, I myself am guilty of the
“go-to” conversation that tends to come so naturally.
Me calling a friend: *ring ring* Hey girl! Wow, it has been so long! How are you
coping in all the madness?!
Friend: Hey! Yeah really. Can you believe all this? When will it end?!
Me: Oh, you know as soon as the election stuff is straightened out, I am sure things
will calm down.
Friend: But what if it doesn’t? What if we will have to go on doing these silly things
forever?
Me: I am not sure. Maybe the Lord will come back! Wouldn’t that solve all our
problems?!
Honestly, it is just so easy to do! It is just too easy to “relate” to people by complaining about all
that we have to complain about! Even with strangers. And don’t even get me started on the
election. Good grief!
I am here to submit to you a new topic to bring up with others INSTEAD of whining and
complaining.
What is in your 2020 hindsight vision?
What happened in 2020 that you can glean from, learn from, and—if you HAVE to talk about
2020—what can you talk about INSTEAD of all the negativity?
In 2020 we got a puppy! He is so precious. His name was going to be Stimulus, but we decided
to go with Justice. ��
In 2020 I got to complete lots of projects I always put off doing! I also learned how I tend to put
off things because I just don’t want to do them not because I really don’t have time. Can I get a
witness?
I discovered many new and creative ways to witness to people. Like putting a Gospel tract in
those postage paid envelopes you get from magazines and credit card applications. You can
witness to people that call with wrong numbers or salesmen. How about giving tracts to the
person that delivers your take-out order! I also got a renewed passion for witnessing because
people were so open to talk about HOPE and PEACE.
What do you see in your 2020 hindsight vision?
I see neighbors and family members desperate for human interaction and edifying fellowship. I
see bus kids that are yearning for love in action. I see students that are frustrated by all the
screen time and are losing hope. How can I reach out to them to make a difference and be a
light?
In myself I see a whole different me. I used to see myself as the extrovert who was always
planning parties and get-togethers and making any silly excuse to meet a girlfriend for coffee.
But since we haven’t been able to do that, I invite people to my own home or call people more
often. I have even written a few letters and mailed them! Say WHAT?! And I find myself
enjoying the quietness more than I used to.
It is no longer “silly” to play a boardgame or put a puzzle together at home at random. These
have been some of my best memories from 2020. Anything that pulls us away from screen
time! I got to cultivate my love of reading that I haven’t been able to enjoy since high school!
Did you grow Spiritually in 2020?
Never have we been so face-to-face with ourselves that we were forced to sit in the quiet and
listen to what God wanted to show to us. I was convicted many times just resting in my recliner
not listening to or watching or doing anything. Just silent. It was then that God prompted me to
reach out to someone who really needed a friend in that minute. It was there that God showed
me how I can better support my husband, Paul. He showed me where I had failed in my
personal walk and although it was uncomfortable at first, God always resolved these
“chastenings” with love.
If you didn’t grow spiritually maybe you can use your 2020 hindsight vision to grow in 2021. My
grandpa, Dr. Don Green, says often, “If there was a time in your life that you were closer to God
than you are right now, then you are back slidden.” He also says, “You are as close to God as
you want to be.” Ouch. That gets me.
Let’s determine not to let the negatives of 2020 overtake the positives. Let’s be the person that
people WANT to talk to because we aren’t always complaining about the past or the inevitable
future.
The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.
Proverbs 15:2
Maybe the conversation will go more like this:
Me calling a friend: *ring ring* Hey girl! Wow, it has been so long! How are you and
your family!?
Friend: Oh, you know trying to hang in there the best we can.
Me: Well, you know as much as all this can drag us down, I am choosing to focus on
the positives! So, tell me what you got to do in 2020 that you have been wanting to
do?
Friend: Come to think of it, I really enjoyed working from home and being able to
spend more time with my children instead of sending them to daycare, even though
they drive me crazy sometimes. ��
Me: That is so sweet! We only have a short time to influence our kids. That is
definitely a bonus…
Iron sharpenteth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. Proverbs 27:17
P.S. I am pretty proud of myself for not mentioning any buzzwords like COVID-19, coronavirus,
social distancing, essential workers, masks, or pandemics…. Oh wait. I just did. *facepalm*