I wouldn’t say this has been the best year ever. I know many people would say it has been the worst. Google would suggest 2020 is a contender with 536, 1520, 1918, and 1933. I don’t need to name everything people experienced or had loved ones experience in 2020. Despite all the heartache I can say this isn’t the worst year ever, at least for me.
2020 brought the birth of my youngest daughter and her baptism. It also brought the birth of my best friend’s child. I know other babies growing that I can’t wait to meet in 2021. My toddler continued to grow, learned how to walk, eat big girl food, talk, “read” and sing, and how to be a big sister. My littlest learned how to sleep through most of the night, sit up, happy screech, scoot around, how to take a bottle, and more. Developmentally, these early years are the most my kids will ever learn at one time.
I’ve seen my children become sisters. They also met all their cousins. They visited all their great grandparents who are still alive (one grandma and two grandpas). They went to St. Louis. They met my grandma’s best friend. They met my best friend’s child and witnessed his baptism. We even went to go to Disney at the beginning of 2020 before all the crazy happened!
We had plenty of bad, heartbreaking, and hard moments in 2020. Yet, we’ve also had plenty of hope. It’s not the hope that comes with, “Life will get better if I could get two hours of sleep in a row.” It’s not even the hope that the kids will play nice together. In our house, we have a greater and more eternal hope. We hope in Jesus. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Jesus is one constant in my life considering. That’s a big deal considering how quickly rules, regulations, recommendations, and everything else seems to change. Jesus and His love for me will never change. His forgiveness and salvation are always there.
Jesus is the one I can cling to in 2020 and every year after that. I know He will never change. Jesus is the same one that those in 536, 1918, and 1933 could cling to as well. Jesus died for all times, places, and peoples. It doesn’t matter if someone was born or died in a “good” year or the “worst” year. Jesus still saved and redeemed them.
Thank God He is more powerful than anything in His creation. He is more powerful than sin, death, and the devil. He will never leave or forsake us. Jesus is the one powerful enough to restore our relationship with God. He is the one who ultimately saved us. I can’t imagine how hard it is for people right now to not know their Savior. 2020 may have caused questions of faith for some. Thankfully, God is always present in His Word and Sacraments to call people to the Gospel and strengthen all in their faith. He is also always there to help no matter what kind of year it is.
