Y'all, do you ever go back through your journals and review the words you receive from God? Today I did just that and I read over a word that I wrote down in my iPhone notes dated December 1, 2019.
Typically, before the start of the new year, I like to get alone with God and seek what the Holy Spirit is leading for myself and our family for the next year. Sometimes I get just a word to focus on, sometimes a scripture, sometimes something bigger.
Here is what I wrote down that the Holy Spirit shared with me concerning God's vision for my family for the year 2020.
"Behold, I do a new thing. Remove your sackcloth of mourning and put on the crown of righteousness, peace and joy. Behold I do a new thing. Do you have ears to listen? Listen up, for behold I will do a new thing. You are free from affliction, free from pain, free from debt, free from sin. Live in MY righteousness, live in MY holiness, live in MY joy. Behold I do a new thing. 2020 will bring new beginnings. Look for me and you will find me. Make sure you are listening for MY direction and My Spirit to guide you. Turn off the noise that hinders your ability to listen. Raise up your children in the way they should go, and they will never depart from it. Speak of Me in the morning, afternoon and evening. Teach your children about ME. Show them My love for you and them. As you seek Me, I will make your paths straight. Behold I do a new thing. Seek me at all times and the path will be prepared for you in advance."
HELLO! Wow. Even now, as I review His word for my family, and reflect on 2020, I just cannot believe it.
God totally will prepare you for what is coming if you will humble yourself and seek out Him and His will. 2020 will forever go down in the history books due to the Covid pandemic and the response of the nation's due to Covid. God definitely did a new thing.....
After 2020 was over, I wrote down a 2020 year in review as I reflected on how it went. Here is what I wrote on August 23, 2020.
"Tonight, Jeritt took Allister fishing. While they were out of the house, Beaumont crawled up onto my lap, we covered up with his favorite Tsum Tsum blanket and just watched TV together silently. As I was sitting here on the couch with my feet propped up, and my 5-year-old in my lap, I began scrolling through my pictures on my iPhone, listening to Beaumont slowly start to drift off to sleep, I began to think about how the year 2020 has been full of surprises so far.
My biological dad Bennett had a heart attack and had to have heart surgery the first week of the new year. A week later, my stepdad Phil, had similar heart surgery. Both my dads did well in surgery but needless to say, January started off with a bang.
Fast forward to today August 23, 2020, so much has happened. We were faced with some serious uncertainty when Covid 19 hit. Stay at home orders issued, face mask mandates, the boys ended up with the longest spring break ever.
There were some weeks when I thought I might lose my mind working 50+ hours a week, plus homeschooling the boys, plus everything else you have to do to run a household. But as these weeks have turned into months, I look back at all these photos of the awesome things we got to experience as a family as we "stayed at home."
The boys learned how to fish. Allister learned to ride his bike; Beaumont learned how to swim. The boys watched their dad, grandfather and uncle build a porch and sidewalk. We went on nature hikes and the boys got to see lightning bugs for the first time.
We celebrated birthdays, Easter, July 4th and here we are starting the school year. Our kids have been heroes. They have been troopers through it all. Yeah, 2020 has been rough, unexpected and wonderful all at the same time.
August 31 is my birthday. To be honest, I wasn't sure I would live to see 2020. In 2016 I was diagnosed with Dermatomyositis, a rare auto immune disorder, and this really put lots of things in perspective for us as a family. Then that same year we found out that I have a blood clotting disorder that almost cost me my life. 2016 was tough... I am grateful I am still here in 2020.
No matter what life throws at you, you must remember to remain faithful to God, your family and the plans God has for you.
My family has experienced lots of ups and down but at the end of the day, we know that God is good. Please take a moment to slow down. Breathe deeply. Smell the roses and drink some good sweet tea. 2020 has been a surprise for us all, but I think if you look back through the tough times of the year you will see the growth you experienced because of those trials."
Wow, I love going back and reading God's word for 2020 for my family, and then reading my reflection on 2020 up through August of that year. 2020 continued to be one of firsts for my family. We went to Disney World in November 2020- had a blast. It was the boys first trip there. A huge memory maker for us and with Covid restrictions, I believe it was the best time to visit the parks. They were at 30% capacity when we went, short lines everywhere. It was fantastic. To finish up 2020, we went to Sunset Beach NC to spend the end of Christmas and the New Year with my parents- Mom and stepdad Phil, my biological dad Bennett and my aunts, uncles and cousins in that area.
So, what is my point of writing about all this?
Well, that is a good question.
I don't know where you are today in your walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. But here is what the Bible says....
Isaiah 43:19 says, "Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." (NKJV)
This is your reminder that sometimes new things can be scary, and intimidating. Yes, new things that grow you can be difficult and hurt. New things can lead you down a new path that you had not even considered traveling down, but for whatever reason God takes you on that new and scary journey. Trust in HIM. Do the new thing scared and afraid because if you don't do the new thing, you might just miss out on something wonderful in the end of the process.
2020 certainly did not look like how I wanted the year to go down. Yet, when I reflect back on how 2020 affected my family, I am so grateful that God did decide to do a new thing and that I was allowed to grow from it.
We praise you God the Father for your faithfulness to speak truth to us in all things. Thank you for your son, Jesus who is our savior. Thank you for allowing my family to endure 2020 and to experience so many new things together. We grew as a family, and you were there with us in every way. AMEN!
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