Close the Door

We are at that time of year when we sit in reflection, and we think of our accomplishments from the year. Where did we find success or where did we fail or fall short of the goal? As I stare at the beach at Sullivan’s Island, I am captivated by the incoming waves. Some of the waves roll onto the shore slowly and quietly, and at times others attack the shore with loudness and fierceness. I thought that described the year 2020 with its corruption, carelessness, changes, and challenges.

    No one would ever disagree that this has been an unprecedented year. We have seen the Coronavirus pandemic, the revelation of systemic racism,  the exposure of church leadership, the economic downturn, the challenge of voting, the ill flavor of education, the corruption of politics, and the forever change of America. It is a year where some of us have spent so much time with ourselves that we have had to confront some harsh truths about our beliefs, core values, and way of living, etc.

    The beginning of 2020 began like any other year. The world ushered in the new year; we watched the ball drop in Times Square, and we celebrated. Little did we know that the world would come to an almost screeching halt by mid-March. The entire world would be struck with a pandemic known as COVID-19. This virus took no prisoners as hundreds and thousands of people died from complications that stemmed from underlying conditions. It was the beginning of a change in our country. We were no longer free to come and go, shop at our leisure, or gather with friends and families. It seemed that time stopped, and we were all relegated to being confined in our homes like prisoners. Then came the wearing of masks in public places, and the battle of which store carried cleaning items like Lysol, hand sanitizer, and wipes. Let us not forget the war on toilet tissue and paper towels.

    From the battle of cleaning items, we also saw the economic world come to a crashing halt. COVID-19 impacted the economy with the closing of stores, but more specifically the closing of restaurants. These closing had an impact on people’s livelihoods. Gone were the days of meeting for dinner, meeting for book club, or meeting for bible study. While COVID-19 cost many people their jobs, it also pushed small businesses into closing their doors. Eventually, the government would recognize that the world was in a full pandemic that was not going to go away. People were losing jobs and housing, and Americans needed answers. Some relief came in the form of a stimulus check sent by the government to offset some of the incurred costs of surviving, and unemployment checks were temporarily inflated to a liveable wage. 

    Not to be defeated, we improvised with the use of technology. ZOOM became the most used face-to-face app that allowed us a connection with family and friends especially elders confined to senior care. We learned to live and appreciate family with dinner, conversation, and board games. Some couples learned more about each other now that they had time, and other couples fell in love again. (Unfortunately, some couples learned that too much togetherness was not a great thing!) By mid-summer, the world was getting a little tired of the inconvenience caused by COVID-19, but again we used drive-thru and ordered take-out to meet in parks and parking lots for social distance gatherings. Education got a new look with virtual learning much to the chagrin of many parents who pushed for normal five-day face-to-face education and push back from educators who carried concerns about their own health and safety. Compromise. Hybrid schedule, masks, class time reduction, and major adjustments. The world of education was trying!

    We watched as our nation fell apart under racial inequities. Names like George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Alatiana Jefferson,  Ahmaud Aubery, Rayshard Brooks, and many more continued to be at the forefront of the  Black Lives Matter (BLM) Movement that called for a stop to police brutality, racial profiling, and violence. Incidents where SWAT was called in to disband a peaceful demonstration and the explosive demonstration in Charlottesville, Virginia that left people injured and one dead would forever be etched in the annals of American history. Even as racial tension grew in the country, another unprecedented situation would rock America: the Presidential race for the White House. From local, state, and national races, the real faces and character of our fearless leaders were uncovered. I paused at the nastiness in the television ads, the less than respectful debates, and the division of our nation. Wow! Is this what and who we have become in America?

    As the year closes, much has changed. There are allegations of voter fraud; there are still plans to deny the inevitable; there are still people suffering and struggling; there is still a very divided and disjointed country that does not believe that the old way of America will ever return while others believe that we represent the pinnacle of success. Our latest obstacle is the preparation and approval of a COVID-19 vaccine. Because of the limited amount of vaccines, priority must be given to those who get the first round. After frontline workers and the elderly in senior homes, dissension has erupted about the next group: teachers versus prison workers.  

    In reflecting on the challenges that we have faced this year, a friend reminded me of a different side of this year for some people. Some people have lived in their own worlds that were not interrupted by the pandemic. They never spent a great amount of time with themselves. For some, it has been a year of denial. Some have kept busy because they had a job to go to every day so they never had time to sit, wait, confront, or reflect. To some degree,  the year 2020 is the year that never was. 

    I am ready to close the door on 2020. It was quite the year, full of revelations, prayers,  faithfulness, perseverance, hope, sitting still, listening, and pressing inward. It has been the year of strife, death, loss, division, and exhaustion, But when you reflect on 2020, what is your takeaway, and how are you going into 2021? If you believe that this past year has given you nothing, perhaps you missed the plan that maybe God has been doing something to you and through you for the next season of your life. Walk into 2021 courageously, fearlessly, and hopeful that you have been prepared to do a mighty work.

Copyright ©️ 2020 by CrayDawg, Inc.