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*