Susan Narjala
Keeping it Real
Ready to Hit Reset on 2020?
The first six months of 2020 have sneaked past us. Six months of circumstances that no one saw coming. Six months where we faced fear, uncertainty, loss, and anxiety that the coronavirus and the glorious mess of regular life brought to our tables.
And now we stand at the halfway point of the year that we celebrated in January as the start of a new decade. We were excited, hopeful, eager. Some had planned weddings. Others had set their heart on new jobs or promotions. Still others had their travel itineraries planned down to the last detail. There were to be graduations and celebrations with family and friends. And many of those dreams lie strewn across the first six months of the year like dirty clothes on a bathroom floor.
Even as we stand at the halfway mark we ask ourselves: Is it going to get better? Are we going to find a vaccine and a cure? Are we going to get through this??
And we come up with no good answers. No rock-solid solutions.
We can’t control our circumstances. But here’s what we can do.
If the last few months have felt crappy, if they’ve been defined by overwhelming fear, if they’ve been marked by lethargy and gloom, we have the opportunity to choose to set a new course for the next half of the year. We have 185 days left this year. One hundred and eighty-five days that God gives us to use for His glory. Time is a gift from Him. We can’t let a microscopic virus – or any other situation – hold us hostage and dictate how we’re going to spend that invaluable resource.
While we may not be able to change our circumstances, we can re-evaluate, redeploy, and reaffirm our goals at the mid-point of this year. Let July become your new January.
Re-evaluate
Has this year forced us to unlearn some things we believed were top priority? What have the first six months of the year taught us?
Is it simplifying and decluttering our lives of things, events, and insistent obligations?
Is it making more time for family?
Is it cultivating contentment and gratitude?
This is a good time to review our goals from the start of the year. In the light of the new normal do they still ring true?
Redeploy
Where will our energies for this next season be focussed? Is it time to restructure and reassign our resources? Is our 9-to-5 going to consume all we have to offer? Or is there more?
Should we focus on generosity?
Should we focus on mending broken relationships?
Should we focus on growing in our knowledge and love of God?
Reaffirm
As we face the next few months of more questions than answers, let’s reaffirm our trust in a known God who holds as unknown future.
The pandemic will end. Ecclesiastes 3 reminds us that, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens..” The passage couldn’t be any more relevant today when it says that there is “a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing… ” Creative license shouldn’t be applied to Scripture but, to me, this sounded strangely like social distancing. I may be extrapolating here, but I do believe the season for warm, tight bear hugs will be back!
God holds our times – the good and the bad – in His hands. Nothing takes Him by surprise. Perhaps this is the moment to say: I simply do not have the strength to face the giants of tomorrow, but He does. I simply do not have the resilience to power through the rest of this year, but He does. And He will see me through. Let’s reaffirm that truth today, friends.
He is the God of hope. He is the God of our tomorrows. He is the God of 2020.
Pic credit: Photo by Danil Aksenov on Unsplash
MEET SUSAN
Comments
22 Comments
Donna A
Beautiful.. I enjoyed this perspective reminding me God is truly in control, and that I can – and should – have goals beyond just “getting through” this Covid season. Thank you.
Susan Narjala
Thanks, Donna! I was feeling kind of listless today, but your comment was a good reminder and encouragement to me. – Susan
Jacob
Excelently appropriate for giving hope in the times we are in
Susan Narjala
Thank you 🙂
Saritha
Awesome Susan ..God bless
Susan Narjala
Thanks, Sari! God bless! – Susan
Sathyan
Nicely Written, as Always 👍🏻
Susan Narjala
Thank you, Sathyan!
Jessie
Yes this is exactly what I’ve been planning to do and have taken the week off to think 🙂 this post helps structure my thoughts – thanks!
Susan Narjala
Awesome, Jessie. May God speak to you even as you quiet yourself before Him. – Susan
Paula Starker
Thank you for your hope-full message!
Susan Narjala
You’re most welcome, Paula! I’m so glad you were blessed through it. – Susan
Daniel Awuondo
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens..” I like this
Susan Narjala
Thanks, Daniel. Ecclesiastes is packed with such amazingly beautiful truths. – Susan
Jasmine Zachariah
Beautifully crafted! Yes I will hope in the God of my salvation!J
Susan Narjala
Thank you, Jasmine! That’s a beautiful statement. – Susan
Pia
Loved your ending ! Never thought of Ecclesiastes in this context!:) Nice!
Susan Narjala
Thanks, sis! I didn’t think of the Ecclesiastes passage and then God just suddenly brought it to mind.
Cathy
Amen! Yes, HE is the God of our hope! Thank you for this encouraging reminder, and for these inspirational questions for personal reflection.
Susan Narjala
Thank you, Cathy! I prayed that it would be an encouragement to someone 🙂 – Susan
Elizabeth Rodriguez Beltran
Beautifully said. God is the God of all times including, of course, 2020! thank you for that.
Susan Narjala
Thanks, Elizabeth! Yup, He is the God of this year, no matter how crazy it might seem to us!