As the calendar flips to 2021, the world rejoices that 2020 is behind us. The year of COVID and lockdowns is over…

I woke up on this glorious morning to… sleet… At least the ice looked pretty as it hung to the trees and everything outside…

Then just after 11:00 AM, the power went out… and stayed out… until 6.

The power outage didn’t really spoil my New Year’s plan of crocheting and doing nothing all day… but slowly it started to feel cold. Suddenly I needed a plan for dinner. Eventually, this lazy, power-free day had me wondering if the power would come back and life could go back to normal.

We ordered pizza and chicken wings. Ate under the light of a flashlight. Then instructed all the kids to get into footed pajamas and lay under their covers.

Convinced we were all going to be at 5:30, I laid down… and the power came on!

Problem solved…

2020, Covid, the pandemic, it will all be over soon. Life will go back to normal… how soon… I wish I knew.

But I can tell you the turning of the calendar is not going to solve any problems. They’re still there. All of them. Even if the problem did magically go away, a new problem would arise.

The only way you are going to find the peace and happiness you are looking for is by looking to the Cross.

Yes, even the “I’ve-Been-a-Christian-my-whole-life” Christian.

The answer to our problems is not a new day or new year, it’s a new life with Christ!

But not your cheap check-the-box Christianity. Christianity as a sold out, every day, obedient follower of Christ who strives to have a relationship with Him and do His will!

When life gives you lemons, what do you do?

Do you complain?

Do you make lemonade?

Do you just eat it as is?

How many of you thank God for that blessing? Maybe it is not the blessing you wanted, but it is the blessing you needed.

A house without power. How is that a blessing? It’s perspective. It’s thank you Lord for the roof over my head, the family within these walls, and your provision over us all.  

It’s, yep maybe life will not always be sunshine and roses, but it is always full. Full of what? Well, that is up to you. Do you see the blessing or the burden?

The answer to our horrible 2020 is not in the turning of a calendar, but in the One who created it all! When God created the world, He said it was good. All of it. Sin corrupted it. Don’t let sin stop you from seeing the good!

We can choose to see the good, or we can stay focused on the fallen nature.

We can choose to see where God is at work and join Him, or we can wallow in our self-pity and self-promotion.  

We were not created for this fallen world. We were created for life with God! So, for now, we have to live in the fallen world and choose to see God where He is at work. Join Him! Let Him work in you!