As I sat in church this past Sunday, after playing the organ for the 1st time in 6 months, I sat there and reflected on where we find ourselves right now in 2020.
Right now, many of us are going back to church after an absence due to COVID restrictions. But church doesn’t necessarily look the same. There’s masks that hide the smiles, traditions modified to help decrease the risk of spreading COVID. Hugs, handshakes and potlucks are missing. And a lot of our congregants are missing because our members aren’t quite comfortable coming back yet and risking exposure.
But in spite of all the changes and the things we are missing? I gave thanks. Thanks that I am back worshiping in church. Never did I think there would be a point in my life I would spend months not going to church and wishing I could. This makes the intimate gathering of just a few that much more precious. Playing hymns to God as the others sang the words muffled behind their masks was a balm. As I reflected on this I thought of the other things 2020 has brought us.
Immense gratitude for the teachers in our kids lives. How? Just how???? do they do it? Thank you.
The grocery store employees that most people would look down on? The truckers that bad jokes get made of? The janitors who clean up after us? Thank the Lord there are people who do these jobs!
We’ve learned that life doesn’t have to be constantly on the go and that thinking outside the box and doing things in a new way is not necessarily a bad thing but can end up better after all.
We look at 2020 and we see disaster. We see sickness, canceled plans, death, destruction, and mental health triathlons. But I was able to see with gratitude the other things it has brought me and you and for that I’m grateful.
Because. . .
Later that day while dealing with a migraine I learned that my Aunt has stage four cancer, and her husband’s Alzheimer’s is progressing. I spent the night dealing with my husband who was in pain and the one thing I wanted to do for Labor Day? Sleep in? Yah, that didn’t happen. Instead at 7am I was taking my husband to the ER where I wasn’t allowed in with him and found out hours later that they were admitting him due to diverticulitis.
I could blame it all on 2020. I could continue to say what a crap year it is. Most people would nod in agreement with me.
But those moments at church? They turned things around for me. It’s just life. My husband will be fine. My Aunt and Uncle have lived long, good lives. Saturday will come again with another opportunity to not wake up at 5:30 am.
Life isn’t perfect right now. It probably never will be. But it will have moments that are better. Moments of joy, happiness and thanksgiving. And 2020 will end.
One thought on “It’s 2020 and I’m Thankful”