There’s no doubt that 202o has been a tough year for nearly everyone. If your year hasn’t been altered by the election, the coronavirus, civil unrest, lockdowns or at least wildfires, then you should be buying lottery tickets.
It’s easy to look back on this dumpster fire of a year and say “good riddance!” as we close out this painful chapter in our lives. It’s been a year most of us would like to forget.
But should we?
The truth about pain is its neccessity. The rain falls on the just and unjust alike, and there’s virtually nothing you can do to escape some sort of storm in your life. The question is, how will you react to it?
Maybe you lost someone to that terrible virus that began sweeping the nation this year. Maybe your business was affected by the lockdowns or the mask mandate made Thanksgiving awkward. Maybe the political arena, along with the constant flood of the 24-hour news cycle, which constantly seems to have nothing to say but bad news is just draining.
Believe me, I know how you feel on that one. But bad news, though it’s not enjoyable or sought after, is necessary.
See, it’s impossible to recognize good news if you don’t have bad news once in awhile. if everything was peachy all the time, we’d never have to learn how to make good decisions, how to strengthen our character, or how to remain hopeful in the face of adversity. It’s easy and natural to want to move on to the next phase of life when the one we’re currently in seems unbearable. But hear me when I say, “don’t quit the fight. You’re not done, yet.”
Don’t lose the hope of the new year because of how badly the last one went. One of the great things about our lives is that we’re constantly in a cycle. Every day, month, season—every year is a chance to start again. And after a year like the one that 2020 has been, who couldn’t use a fresh start?
