The title is a little cheesy, but bear with me 😂

As always, the blogging bug leaves me for so many weeks (or months) at a time, then finds its way back to me somehow. And I was going to try to post this yesterday but something told me not to rush it. So, here we are today.

It’s September, so yesterday (since it was the first) you probably saw so many posts about “setting intentions, changes, etc.” And I’m right along with everyone on that, so much so, I wrote down my intentions the night before: the things I plan on working on and praying through as the last quarter of the year begins.

And yesterday morning as I wrote in my prayer journal, I was reminded of a conversation I had with a church member this past Sunday. It was brief, but it really put things in perspective for me:

This person said what so many of us have said about 2020 – “it just needs to go away, so we can start 2021!” And I agreed with them, until the Holy Spirit laid it on my heart to say this:

"Actually, I feel like God wants us to expect for Him to still do good things in 2020."

With everything that’s happened this year – COVID, the continuing of racism in the US, deaths of major figures in the black community, and a presidential election coming up – it’s easy not to expect anything good to come out of this year. So many of us have been more depressed, more anxious, less productive, less eager for things, and now with four more months of a year that’s dragged a lot of us through the mud, all we foresee is more of the same.

attempts at staying dry.

This year seems to be covered in rain clouds. Day after day, month after month, hit after hit. It’s almost been like storms are constantly brewing then doing their worst. And in our efforts to stay dry (i.e. cling to normalcy), we’ve grabbed anything and everything – people are still trying to go on vacations and hang out in large groups for parties and whatnot, despite COVID still existing. We host online classes and events to try to stay creative and to still keep our own work or the work of others alive, even though with everything being virtual, it isn’t the same. School has reopened…but with new protocols to follow. And yet we still search for “the good ole days” in some way through all of these changes.

We still seek to stay dry amidst the pouring rain.

to throw or not to throw in the towel? I say: both.

1. I’m not much of a rain person, but I don’t get hopeless when the rain comes. Why? Because I know it won’t last. I know that behind the clouds, the sun is there (or moon and stars, depending on if it’s day or night). So, I allow the rain to do its thing – to water the plants, to fill up the rivers and lakes and oceans, to wash away pollen from cars (free car wash!) – and then I expect the sun (or moon and stars) to come out again.

Many of us need to look at 2020 like the rain; we need to remember that it won’t last forever. We also have to remember that we can still be hopeful that good things can and will come out of these last four months of the year. In this way, we should not throw in the towel: we can still search for Light in the darkest of places, and it isn’t wishful thinking to do so.

And you see how the rain, even though it may be inconvenient, still does great things (waters plants, fills up bodies of water, cleans cars)? In no way am I saying that we should be all smiles that beloved people have passed, or that a virus has killed so many. But I am saying that through all of this hurt and pain, what have we learned? How have we treated each other better? Have we gained more respect for those we never would bat an eye at? Have we become more grateful for things that we didn’t even think to thank God for in 2019?

2. We need to not depend on our figurative “towels” to stay dry, but we need to look to God to keep us during these times. I can’t tell you how often I acknowledge the fact that I’m blessed because God’s kept my loved ones safe and healthy during this year, and I know that’s not something to take for granted.

So in this way, we need to throw in the towel; we need to surrender any form of security that we think we can create or manage, and remember that God is in control of everything. To some, it may look like He’s abandoned us, but I believe that it takes difficult times to truly allow people, things, and situations to grow.

And maybe 2020 is just that – a growing cloud full of rain that may seem like a pain, but is actually watering us, preparing us for what we’ve been praying for.

I won’t let you all know my personal intentions for this month / the rest of the year, but I pray that you all keep this analogy of the rain, staying dry, and being dependent on God! I don’t know what He is planning, but I believe that if we all keep seeking His Face during this time, He’ll show us the things He’s wanting us to grasp with this year still here!

Mishy 🦋🖤