2020: The calm in the storm.

2020 has been nuts, hasn’t it.

2019 ended what I considered to be the best decade of my life so far… my fourth. I turned 50 the day before the start of 2020. During my 40’s we moved to a new, beautiful state. Grew a big beautiful family. Advanced at work. Bought a couple houses and turned them into homes, in settings more perfect than we ever could have hoped for.

We received countless blessings.

Two weeks into my fifties we went to Tucson to celebrate with family and friends.

On the second day I was diagnosed with influenza A, with Lillian to follow suit a day later.

We got better, but while lying in bed getting better I watched a steadily increasing stream of videos out of China about a new coronavirus that jumped from bats to humans in Wuhan, China. Authorities there were filmed dragging people from their homes, welding doors shut on said homes, and locking down a city. Dead bodies were lying in the streets. Rumors of a global pandemic, lockdowns, communication blackouts began. Fear began to rise.

When we arrived home we heard about food and supply shortages. Stores were running out of TP. Like many people we stocked up without hoarding, and prepared to hunker down.

Looking back we were at a fork in a road… would this be time we embraced, or endured as a family? Well, it would turn out to be both.

As things progressed, lockdowns began, telework was partially implemented, and we worked to focus on not getting too distracted with the constant info flood, and the subsequent deciphering of fact vs fiction. The virus became politicized.

We got chickens

and later goats.

We grew vegetables, and picked fresh berries.

Things we always wanted to do, and were now pressed to action by the uncertainty of the times.

We held on to each other and tried to hold on to our faith in God.

In hindsight, our vision for our family has always been to one day have a farm to grow our own food and be able to self sustain to some degree… a farm near the water would be a bonus.

Well that’s what we ended up with…

… through what felt like fear and uncertainty, maybe God was pressing us to action to bring a dream to fruition. That’s how he answers prayers right? It’s why I don’t pray for patience… because over the years I’ve learned that I’ll receive a lesson in patience, which sucks… but God knows. And provides.

As we have gone through this year, a song called The Blessing keeps popping up and makes me pause every time I hear it. It’s powerful.

It’s from Numbers 6:24-26, and one of the first times I heard it it made me realize how little we are compared to Gods grace. It is the blessing God told Moses to teach to Aaron and his sons, to bless the Israelites.

But during this time in the Bible, and in humans relationship with God, there were a lot of conditions. And God would lash out against the Israelites if they didn’t carefully follow all of the rules. In Exodus 34 God talks about punishment of sin to the third and fourth generation of the sinner.

God commanded the Israelites to give five very specific offerings: burnt, grain, fellowship, sin, and guilt.

But they kept letting God down and facing the consequences. We couldn’t get it right. And we never can.

So ultimately, because of Gods love for us, He provided the only sacrifice that matched his love for us: his son, Jesus. The perfect lamb. The last sacrifice.

And with that gift Gods conditions and generational curses became grace, and blessings for a thousand generations.

I’m no theologian, and I’m sure many can pick apart what I wrote here. But I just wanted to share how this song gives me hope that during these unprecedented times, Gods love and grace stands strong, surrounds us, and secures our eternity.

God is great. And Elevation Worship’s is my new favorite version of “The Blessing.” Listen here:

This last weekend together with the family made me realize, life is amazing and I am still living the best days of my life.

And that’s what this year has been… I know not everyone has had the same Experience. Many have experienced loss greater than I ever care to imagine. But for now I’m thanking God for a multitude of blessings. As in Psalm 91, “I will say if the Lord, he is my rock and my fortress, my God In who I trust“ … easier said than done sometimes, but trust in God’s plan, protection and grace is life giving, and it has made this year bountiful.