Y'all, we are in the home stretch of 2020! A year that for many of us started with plans, goals, and deadlines! Then suddenly it all came to a screeching stop! We were shocked, we’d never been here before, some were paralyzed with fear, others were seemingly unaffected. Well, here we are 9 months in- like we could have conceived and delivered a whole baby during this time—Yep! I ask you today what have you received or allowed to be delivered to or through you? I have been practicing gratitude for some time but during this time it has gone to a straight-up 2.0 status! God has shown himself strong as a peace giver, protector, provider, revealer, deliverer, and healer for my family! I am so grateful for all of it! It's God for me! This year has thrown some blows and I've let myself sit with and feel those emotions but I also take time to see the gifts that this year has given! The lens that you see things through is a game changer! I often find myself switching the lens by asking family, friends, and myself what gifts this year has brought into our lives.
Something that God reminds me of every year around this time is that I am an overcomer! So I keep my gloves on and stay in the ring because I am on my way to victory! Yes, 2020 is coming to a close, but it ain't over! And how we end 2020 is how we will enter 2021! So I am ending strong: smashing health goals, personal goals, and being present with God and fam! I would normally bring the year to a close with my end-of-the-year vision board party (which has moved to January and will be delivered virtually with a few good women. Send me an email if you'd like to attend.), but I have decided to end the year and dedicate this blog to gratitude!
I am thankful we are still standing despite setbacks, health issues, loss of loved ones, and certainly the sudden loss of normalcy. Here are some of the "gifts" I've allowed 2020 to deliver to and through me! I'd love to hear from you! So when you're done reading, please keep scrolling down to the very bottom of this page, show your girl some love and leave a comment regarding something you know was or is being delivered to/through you this year!
Time to reveal: Time to sit together individually and as a family to have both fun and hard discussions of revelation, healing, and forgiveness, while sharing hopes and fears. Some people have put masks on, while others have taken them off if you know what I mean! This year has exposed and brought so much to the surface! It’s given us time (if we choose to take it) to look at the person looking back at us in the mirror. Time to evaluate the people and organizations we support and those that support us. The person you really are becomes apparent when you’re under pressure and this has been a time of ultimate pressure for many! Have you acknowledged that you need to and begun the work on your: self, prayer life, marriage, goals, parenting, friendships, health? Have you used this time to sit with and heal you or have you continued to distract yourself with the unlimited scroll of FaceBook or Instagram, worrying, constant news watching, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon prime, overeating, that toxic man/woman or other bad habits? Time is one of the most difficult things to manage, yet our lives are determined by how we use our time and who we spend it with!
Increased technology IQ: I now know how to set up meetings and share screens! Although I sometimes can't deal with the thought of another virtual meeting these virtual gatherings are a whole thing now! Over Thanksgiving, I saw technology bring a level of connection and joy to our family! Quite honestly these virtual gatherings have served me well! I have participated in bible studies with women all over the U.S., I have and am sharing holidays with family members that I have never shared a holiday with or haven’t in a long time! I celebrated my birthday with a virtual wellness party and have attended countless other gatherings virtually! I am grateful to still be able to connect and not only hear the voices but see the faces of my loved ones!
Daily family devotions: with everyone together we've had time every morning to pray with and encourage one another. Helped me to be present and refocus on the basics: faith family, home, and true friends.
Rest and time to heal! Before the pandemic, many of us were running on empty if we are honest! We were working both inside and outside of our homes, attending school, running to sporting events, music & driving lessons, helping with homework, homeschooling, taking care of aging parents, volunteering, serving in our churches while simultaneously walking in unforgiveness, hiding trauma, grieving lost dreams, ignoring addictions ...struggling! How do we give something we don't have? This year let us give the gift of healing, hope, and a legacy of love!
Homeschooling has become normalized-even for us Black folks in Minnesota! We've been homeschooling for 7 consecutive years but now most of the country is doing it in some capacity so now people aren't looking at us like we have horns growing out of our noses when we say we homeschool! Now we are prepared to give advice based on our lived experience!
To end this year healthier mentally and physically, closer to God and family is a gift. So wherever you are in the process, keep your gloves on and stay in the ring! I don’t know about you, but it’s definitely God for me!
