“Write the vision…it will surely come.” (Habukkuk 2:2-3)

For the first time in my life, I made a vision board for 2020. There are times I have felt like scratching through the “20” and writing “21” over it. Of course for the entire world 2020 has been a particularly rough year…quarantining, wearing masks, not seeing loved ones, losing loved ones, looking like strangers to each other, feeling anxiety and fear…the list goes on. I remember starting the year with such hope…with what I thought was “2020 vision.” And now here we are, mustering a new vision for 2021. Not easy. Maybe we are cautiously optimistic and our vision is a little murky or muddled…or perhaps we’re afraid to have one at all. Still I believe God wants us to have faith, to hope for the best and to let the rest (the past) go. And the best way I believe, as God tells Habukkuk, is to write our vision down…again.

There really is power in the pen. I know, I know, I’m a writer so I would say that. But it’s proven to be true…for example, when students take notes at the same time they listen to a teacher, studies show they learn better; they absorb and retain the information more readily. Writing something down, as in a journal, also usually helps with healing and “letting go” of negative emotions. If you’ve never heard of a God box, try making one: basically it’s a small box (any shape or size will do), you can decorate it if you want, and you use it to put inside slips of paper on which you write things you give to God – either negative stuff (like resentments or fears) you wish to let go of, or positive stuff (you pray for) you wish to bring into your life. When you think to open the box months down the line, usually you find what you wrote has been taken care of. Recently I wrote the name of one of my kids who was struggling with a lot of tough stuff. He called just yesterday to let me know he’s turning things around.

Also, and this may be harder for some than others, try writing a gratitude list for 2020 before you say good bye to it; I am grateful for the “pause” that it gave us…to slow down and literally stop and smell the roses, to appreciate nature, to spend more time alone reflecting on ourselves, being with God, reaching out to others. And you know what? A few things I wrote on my vision board actually did happen…and the rest…well, perhaps a few weren’t meant to be, and the rest I will carry forward into 2021!

And so it is time to let go of 2020…and embrace a new year. Change will take time, but we can all begin anew by taking what we learned, keeping the good memories and letting go of the rest, and boldly heading forward to do God’s will.

Once again, I am thankful for each and every one of you reading this and especially for all of you who respond with kind thoughts and wishes; I am grateful for friends and family, and I am blessed by each and every one of you with whom I’ve had the pleasure to work in 2020. I pray that the New Year holds all good things in store for you and I want to hear how it goes so please stay in touch in 2021!

Wishing you a healthy, happy, bold New Year!