2020 is officially in the rearview mirror. To put it mildly, it was hard. In many ways, it’s difficult to remember what life was like before the COVID-19 pandemic, and before the August 10th derecho caused so much destruction to Eastern Iowa. A year that brought many challenges to each of us is finally over. So, now what?
When I was growing up, I loved reading the “Choose Your Own Adventure” book series. Each book featured a great story, and every once in a while the reader would have the opportunity to decide what happens next. Want plan A? Turn to page 42. Plan B? Turn to page 57. As a child of the 1980’s, I was amazed that I could literally choose the outcome of each story. Inevitably, I would choose every adventure over time, just to see how they would finish up.
A new year is upon us, and just the like book series, now is a time that each of us can choose our own adventure. What do you want this year to look like? What do you want to be able to look back a year from now and say you accomplished? While there is still plenty of uncertainty in regards to what is to come this year, we can look forward with hope to fulfill the purpose that God has for us in 2021. What is that purpose for you?
One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Ephesians 2:10, which says “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” I love the picture that this verse paints in my mind. It’s the idea that God has laid out opportunities to serve Him along the path of our lives. While He gives us the chance to serve Him in this way, it’s up to us to take Him up on his offer to show His love to the people around us.
If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that predicting what is to come in 2021 is impossible. As we sit in the tension of the unknown, one thing we can know is that we have the privilege of serving God in the places he has planted us during this season. As we move forward, let’s choose to make 2021 awesome by drawing closer to the Lord and serving Him with our lives.
In Christ,
Matt Deane
Station Manager
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