That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
Mark 4:35-40 (NIV)
I’m not reviewing the year.
Around this time writers and wannabe writers are all compiling their year end summaries.
The hands-down best at this for years running is Dave Barry.
I’m not sure I want to read what Dave says about 2020.
I don’t really want to read what anybody has to say about the year. The livestream was bad enough.
I don’t do resolutions. But I have in years past written a “More or Less” post in which I list the things I want to
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work on.
I’m not doing that this year.
True, I have a list. But I’m not publishing it.
None of us can look back on 2020 say that we expected that.
NARRATOR: Insert overused “Hindsight is 2020” joke here.
I seem to recall last year around this time people were arguing over whether the new decade becan on 1/1/2020 or 1/1/2021.
I was pretty much in the 2020 camp.
Not so much anymore.
Let’s agree that the new decade begins on this Friday, January 1, 2021.
We can argue about it again in nine years. I think we can agree that we need a new start.
I know that we all know that there’s no magic to the turning of a calendar page. Even when turning to a new year.
We can hope and dream about how things will be better in 2021. But all we can really do is work to make our own attitudes better as we face whatever challenges may come.
To be blunt, I’m not sure we did our best with 2020.
Granted, the year sucked and our “leadership” didn’t help.
That’s a bipartisan statement. They all jerked us around.
But that statement belong in a year-end review, and I’m not doing that.
I have my list. I have my new notebooks. I have new books to read.
I’m even planning for the next Santa season.
I’ve just to accept the fact that there’s not likely to be smooth sailing ahead.
When Jesus was in the boat with the disciples the storms came up and they woke him to save them. He asked them where there faith was.
Dudes, I’m here, it’s going to be alright.
When I look back over 2020, I can see that even in the sucky parts, he was there helping me through. I didn’t always realize it at the time.
And, true, there were also some good things that happened. My college/university had an amazing online reunion. We had an outstanding week at the beach. I’ve met hundreds of new friends and built a new business relationship learning to do virtual Santa visits.
There’s more. But those are some of the things I want to remember.
It’s time to get back into the boat and sail on into 2021. We can know that he will be with us.
‘Scuse me while I go check the passenger list. Just in case.
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