Merry Christmas 2020

In this most unusual Christmas season, I hope & pray you are healthy & hopeful for better days ahead.  As I considered what to share about our Covid 2020 year I decided to look back through my Facebook posts for inspiration. What I found brought joy & hope to my heart.  Rather than seeing the myriad changes & deep losses we experienced, I was drawn to what God had led me to write about the New Year (2020) & what He wanted us to focus on.

Last December, I contemplated four scripture passages to focus on in the year ahead, including 1 Peter 1:6-7 (NLT): “So be truly glad.  There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while.  These trials will show that your faith is genuine.  It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold – though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.” (emphasis mine)

On January 10, 2020, I posted, “The Christmas lights are down but JOY remains…camouflaged…you need to look for it!” It accompanied a photo of one of our JOY Christmas signs hidden in a plumeria tree.  Clearly, the Lord was showing me that difficult days were ahead, but JOY truly could be found if we would only look for it.  Keeping our eyes fixed on Him (the source of true joy) & not the difficulties surrounding us, would make it so much easier to find. If only we would always remember this!

Joy remains.
Sometimes you need to look for it.

Unfortunately, for a time our focus shifted.  Both Keith & I became weary & lost sight of the hidden joy, forgetting that God was still at work. Difficult days of moving my dad & stepmom, Patty, to a smaller place for the second time in 5 months, followed a short time later by Patty’s passing brought deep grief.  With Dad all alone, in lockdown & living 100 miles from us made for dark days.  Losing several extended family members to Covid & other health issues brought grief upon grief. Don’t even mention what our country had been going through. The joy of the Lord seemed so distant.

That is, until He helped bring a fresh perspective; one of choosing gratitude & joy despite what was going on around us.

So, here’s a peek at some of those hidden joys we found that the Lord blessed us with in 2020:

Keith worked all year, even working overtime, despite having Achilles tendinitis & being in a walking boot.  (We always knew he was an essential worker!)  Kole’s work as an attorney for Netflix continues as well, although he now works from home.  I have continued leading worship for Community Bible Study, prerecording all the music so it can be played on Zoom, where we meet virtually. (I’m still healthy & strong with no signs of MS since my healing 2 ½ years ago.)  We’ve been intentional about getting to know our neighbors in new ways, finding out how we can support one another, especially through prayer.  We also added to our family by rescuing an older Ragdoll kitty, Isabella (Izzy for short).

The highlight of the year was celebrating our 25^th wedding anniversary in September, & being able to get away to Blue Lantern Inn (Dana Point CA) for several days.  Our joy in becoming a family so many years ago increases day by day & we feel so blessed.

So, as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus, may the hope & joy that only He can give, fill your hearts & homes as never before…even if it’s camouflaged & you need to look for it.

Merry Christmas!