Last year – 2019 – was a whole different world than this year – 2020. Last year at this time I wrote a 2019 Alsworth annual Christmas letter:
I couldn’t come up with a list of exciting accomplishments for 2019, so I thought you would like to hear about all the great things WE DID NOT DO.
Jay didn’t raise any pigs this year; so once again, we are without bacon in our freezer. 33 years together and no still no pigs. Hopefully, that will change this coming year because, you know, bacon. We need it.
Stephen didn’t start a new profitable business this year. Neither did he rob any stores, so he’s not in jail; therefore, if you want to hang out with him, you can totally do that.
Becky didn’t ride on any camels this year. Nor did she ride any elephants or giraffes. (Is riding a giraffe a thing? If not, it should be.) She did, however, paint an excellent picture of an elephant which is not the same thing as riding one, but it will have to suffice.
Vincent, our dog, did not get to bite any mailmen, even though he tried very hard. He was quite miffed about that, and I hear he’s putting it on his New Year’s resolution list.
Kayla did not go sky diving or deep sea diving. And she did not get eaten by a shark. It’s definitely a good year when you don’t get eaten by a shark.
I did not win on America’s Got Talent. Probably because I can’t sing. And didn’t audition. And don’t even know where the auditions are being held.
All in all, it was a great year, and I’m looking forward to all the exciting things we are NOT going to do in 2020.
Think about last year at this time – the end of 2019. What did you think 2020 would be like? It’s such a cool number. Double 20’s. 20/20 vision. It was supposed to be a great year, right?
One year ago nobody, and I mean nobody, had any prediction of the pandemic, the shutdown, the riots, a third of Oregon going up in wildfires. However, the contentious election was predictable, and I’m working on my emotional recovery from it.
Our hope is in God. Not in the president. Not in politics. Not in anything in this world.
- Daniel 2:21“He changes the times and the years. He takes kings away, and puts kings in power. He gives wisdom to wise men and much learning to men of understanding.”
- 1 Timothy 2:1-2 “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”
- Isaiah 40:10 “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
- Psalm 130:5-7 “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning—yes, more than those who watch for the morning. O Israel, hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption.”
- Romans 8:28 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
- Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Hope
In Hebrew the word for “tomorrow” comes from the words “behind your back.” The word for “yesterday” means “facing something.” You can’t see the future. You can only see the past. The Hebrews knew this and put this idea in the meaning of their words.
We are like the woman in the boat below. When we row a boat, we row backward. We don’t see where we are going; we only see where we have been. Life is like that. We row through life, not able to see the future. We only see the past.
Life is stormy, scary, and discouraging. But notice the woman in the boat is not looking at the wind or the water. She knows who’s guiding her boat. She’s trusting. She’s putting her hope in God’s strong, capable hands.
She’s not looking at the waves, worrying about whether they will crash over her boat. She’s not looking at herself, wondering if she can make it through this. And significantly, she’s not looking at her phone. If she took her hand off of an oar to hold her phone, she’d row in circles and not go anywhere.
To build our hope and build our faith, we look at our past. We look at that time when God helped us, stood by a loved one, touched a friend, answered a prayer. We think about some preaching that moved us, gave us peace, and brought us closer to God. We meditate on some Bible verse and are encouraged and challenged by a Bible character.
Now look inside her boat. She has plenty of provisions. Likewise, God has given us everything we need to make it through this storm.
Note the anchor is in the bow of the boat. She’s not tied down to this world. She’s not stuck in the past. She’s not staying in one place. She’s moving ahead, trusting God to guide her boat. Her hope is in her God.
(I adapted this thought from a message by Sis Barbara Hilderbrand from Wisconsin.)
There is an old, old song that I love, called “I Have Hope.”
