“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:19).

Finally! We made it to 2021. Most of us can’t leave 2020 and all its discord and chaos behind fast enough. With a new year, we have a clean slate with new goals and resolutions.

But before I move on from 2020, I’d like to look back. Last year, I started a practice where I find three words to describe the previous year. Now, I’m sure you have some choice words for 2020, as we all do, but my words aren’t bye bye bye, even though that would be fitting. Instead, I want to focus on the positive. The truth is, for most of us, 2020 held both good and bad.

The following three words summarize 2020 for me:

Growth

I grew as a writer and a business owner in 2020. I practiced my craft and entered several writing contests, where I received constructive feedback along with some awards. I expanded my business and began offering a bimonthly newsletter and weekly writing tip videos on YouTube to encourage other authors.

I also grew in my spiritual journey. I dove into Bible studies and created a more consistent prayer practice.

It’s difficult to see growth when it’s happening. We are caught in the daily minutia of our lives, and we may feel that we’re not growing at all, or even that we’re going in the wrong direction. It’s only when we look back that we can see how far we’ve come.

Perseverance

From increased levels of anxiety to struggling with how to keep my business going to mourning the loss of in-person events, challenges abounded throughout 2020. Day by day, I adapted. It wasn’t easy, and it wasn’t something I could have done without God’s help. By focusing on prayer, I continued to press forward.

Sufficient

As 2020 rolled on, the truth of Philippians 4:19 became clearer. My God is sufficient, and he will provide for all my needs. Whether that need is financial, relational, or spiritual, he is ready and waiting to bless me. For those times when my faith faltered and I was unsure if he would come through, I remembered how much he had done for me in the past. He has never left me, and that knowledge provided the strength and hope I needed to keep moving.

Dear Jesus, thank you for the lessons of 2020: growth, perseverance, and your sufficiency. I pray for a brighter 2021 for all of us and an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. Until that day comes, help us to look for the positive things in our lives. Amen.