Looking at a better ‘ vision for 2021’

My wife and I have just moved back to this area, after having lived for 12 years in Texas. It is good to be nearer to our family. Families have rituals and traditions.

Mine is no different. For most of my childhood and early adult years, my extended family would celebrate the New Year by gathering for a party. Legend has it that this family party began in the 1920s out of a desire from my maternal grandmother to have a fun night without alcohol.

I have fond memories of 100- plus people playing games, winning prizes and writing down on a poster board one’s resolutions for the coming year.

Eventually, our family entered the 20th century and made a video of folks giving thanks for something during that year and how they resolved to do something “better” in the coming year. It was always a treat to watch these “home movies” and be reminded of what the last year had meant to people and what they were striving to do in the new year.

Since my dad was the one to record the video, we were able to watch many years of many resolutions!

I imagine that most of us would like to ( in some way) forget 2020. From a pandemic ( which is still going on…), to natural disasters; to an election that seemed to last forever; to having to say goodbye to people without seeing them face to face. Who wants to remember that? 2020 tested our ability to be thankful like nothing before it.

Imagine my surprise when I found my “post” of what I resolved to do in 2020. I resolved to love my family and friends… AND to strive to let God improve my “vision.”

Almost every pastor I know did some sort of 2020 vision/ sermon series to begin last year… to be honest, I had forgotten that. My resolution had gone by the wayside like almost every other resolution I had ever made since I was 10.

How did you make out in keeping with your resolution? Did you make your resolution in anticipation of a pandemic? I didn’t. Did you make a promise to improve yourself knowing that a fire might threaten your home and livelihood? Yeah, me neither. But what if we knew that “impending danger” was coming. How might that have changed our resolution? For me, I wouldn’t have been so worried about eating less candy or carbs, but I would have placed better emphasis on strengthening my relationships. I would have resolved not to be so fearful and frustrated over using ZOOM or Facetime to reach out to loved ones.

It is my hope that 2021 will offer us opportunities to improve ourselves and our communities. I pray that as we reflect on the past year, there would be some takeaways that would help us to live better in 2021. Let’s resolve to do that together.