The 2020 re-cap!

This morning while I was going through my morning routine I was thinking about, “What happened in 2020?” A lot! Is the quick simple answer but if you know me, the quick simple answers aren’t usually enough for me. I like to save those for people I don’t know well, you know the ones you see walking their dogs but don’t have much time to chat except in passing. Yep, those ones.

What happened in 2020.

What I find kind of find hilarious is, the last time we celebrated a new decade, the new millennium, everyone was racked with fear of the unknown. The would is going to live in darkness once the clock strikes midnight! Remember Y2K? What happened? Nothing… the clock changed and we kept living like it was a new year, because it was.

But then when we were anticipating 2020 everyone had these new hopes and dreams. 2020 is going to be the best year yet! Is the sentiment I kept hearing and seeing. 2020 did not disappoint in being memorable for sure.

I don’t want to make light of this… 2020 was a hard year for a lot of people, but… every year before was a hard year for a lot of people. I think I can say, 2020 gave us ALL a lot more empathy for those who have been struggling, those who don’t have support, those who feel isolated, those who feel lost, those who feel hungry, those who feel like the light of hope is fading.

There were a lot of gifts given, so much beauty among the ashes. Immediate families were given the gift of time together. Crazy schedules were cancelled and now siblings were able to build relationships! Parents had to work from home because offices were closed and now they get to see and BE part of home life! (I know not all home lives are good and my heart breaks for those who could not escape such abuse). Marriages thrived because spouses were working more as a team instead of as a tag team. Individuals and families realized the importance of becoming more self sustaining instead of constantly living as consumers. New skills were learned. New interests were peaked. The importance of taking care of our bodies and nutrition was a bigger focus and didn’t stop in January like all the other new year resolutions. Obviously I’m focusing on the positives, we all already know the negatives.

What I saw and think is amazing is, the sleeping giant was awoke.

That giant is… the praying believers who have been complacent until now. The parents whose eyes have been open to the truth. The broken hearts that have been mended by the only One who has the power to heal such deep wounds. The fighters who the Lord has called. The blanket of deception has become see through to those whose eyes have been healed.

Don’t you think it’s interesting that we celebrate Christmas at the darkest time of the year? The birth of Christ, the Savior, the Light of the World! My family and I do advent through the whole month of December, from the 1st to the 31st. It goes through the promises that were spoken of, that Jesus, the Son of God would come. The scriptures are VERY specific so that when He did come there would be no doubt that He is the One. Then the promise is fulfilled. And his life was in danger from the beginning, but it was not time for the sacrifice to be made. We continue reading through other miracles and even about stubbornness and redemption. The final readings are about the next promise, that Jesus will return. We know and have hope in this promise because of the evidence of that first promise being fulfilled. So there is HOPE. Hope in the darkest times, in the darkest nights.

(Side note, I dug deeper to see why Christmas is celebrated on the 25th of December, I found there was a group of believers that have been noted they celebrated on December 25th and based off when Jesus was thought to be conceived. The evil one has been trying to dim that light of hope since the beginning because of his hate and anger.)

Don’t let the burdens of 2020 hold you down from welcoming in 2021. God’s mercies are new every morning. He gives us a hope and a future. We don’t know what the future holds but we know Who holds the future.

So hold on to that Hope friends! I’ve seen too many who have let go of hope. Take in each day as a blessing, a new opportunity. You have a purpose, you are loved and you are important. You wouldn’t be here if that were not true.

Blessings,

Alaina

Looking forward to meeting you and telling your beautiful story!

Alaina Nunez Photography
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