Goodbye 2020

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Isaiah 30:15   This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: “in repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.

Jeremiah 31:19   After I strayed, I repented; after I came to understand, I beat my breast.  I was ashamed and humiliated because I bore the disgrace of my youth.

Matthew 4:17   From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

Luke 5:31-32   Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance

Acts 3:19   Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,

 

I am not usually excited about the start of a new year; my life usually continues in its blessed path.  However, this year has been so upsetting for so many people.  I have lost no friends or family to this atrocious pandemic.  The stories have been heart-wrenching with the illness and loss, and for the aloneness many suffered while passing from this life into death.  I pray that at least most knew Jesus.  But the family are left with a feeling of guilt and grief that they could not be with their loved one, and that can be a terrible sensation.  I pray God has reached out and reassured you that your loved one did not die alone since He was with them.  But it is an ache deep within your heart.

So COVID pierced the lives of many during this year for our country, while the rest of the world dealt with the illness for a few months sooner.  Some countries handled it differently and ended up with less loss and death than our country.  But it seems the world was affected by this virus.

Our country also dealt with a lot of unrest, unease, rabble-rousing and violence.   On top of the COVID issues, tensions, anger, hurts, and lives lost, (ALL LIVES MATTER), suspicion and fears and were simmered and stirred by media and social media.   This was a different illness of anger, hurt, violence and the self-centered belief that one had the ‘right’ to harm others.

The western states dealt with many fires this year, for months fireman and women dealt with spreading hungry flames which were destroying so much.  Vast fires, heat, then strong winds in California, spread those fires, but the fires burned throughout the western states, thousands upon thousands of woods, vineyards and many homes destroyed.    

With all this upset, I have believed God is hopeful we will reach for Him.  Many have so thoroughly turned from Him, as they idolize themselves above anything else.  Throughout the ENTIRE year, I have believed deep within my soul that God is proclaiming, “Repent! Return to Me!  I will give you rest!”  Yet, we still are selfish, self-centered, and many only concerned with what they want; not caring for how their actions may impact on others. 

Then of course, we witnessed violence.   Police, full of adrenalin and believing they were doing their jobs; and in this day and age, what a high risk job, facing anger, guns, shootings, danger, and of course, perhaps death.   Of course, I am and was deeply touched by the deaths of the many at the hands of the police. 

We then advanced to looting and violence and all out theft.  I somehow missed how those acts of violence justified that Black lives matter…and I’ll repeat, ALL LIVES MATTER.  But looting, damaging others property, theft, destruction speaks nothing of lives that matter.  Certainly, the lives touched and damaged by the looting and destruction matter also. 

We all have to face God when our lives here on earth end.  How will your outcome appear?  Will you feel good that you treated others well, with love and respect, damaging and not harming another purposely? 

There has been so much that feels negative this crazy year of 2020, with COVID, huge fires, deaths climbing higher and faster than mortuaries and cemeteries can deal with, and the families who ache that their loved one(s) died alone, without family sitting with, holding a hand as they pass from this life into the next.

So, I am hopeful that things will change.  I have confidence that if my time to pass from this living, I will be humbly and excitedly meeting my Savior.   My end of year prayers is that more folks will reach out for His peace, His love, and suck up the rest He offers.  It is there for all if you accept the invitation.  I pray for all who are struggling, looking for ‘something’, (sometimes unable to say what they seek. . . hard to put a name to searching for God until you find Him), feeling that it is only themselves who matter in this life, so no reason to treat others with decency, never mind love.  Many feel like they are alone, and maybe will always be alone.  I pray that each finds someone who can lead them to the Redeemer, the Answer, the Savior, the Way, the Truth, and the Light. 

I pray you answer His call of ‘Repent, Return, I love you and I will give you Rest.’

Thank You for forgiving me, loving me and ‘mybellaviews.’