March 15, 2020, One Year Later
March 15, 2020 will be a date that I will not soon forget. It was 1 year ago when I saw professional sports games cease, businesses closed, schools finish early and churches go online. Wow, what a year!
Certainly none of this is new to you. And we probably don’t need to be reminded. But sometimes we need to stop and assess where we are…as churches, families and individuals. How has this past year impacted you? How have you changed? What did you learn about yourself? What have you learned about life?
As I look back over the past year, here are some insights that I would like us to consider:
1. I DON’T LIKE CHANGE.
I’m not saying this is a good thing. I just like things to be routine. This probably means that I am a boring person. And may explain why my favorite color is gray.
Have you ever noticed that even babies don’t like change? They mess their pants and flee when it’s time for a fresh diaper. We can learn that sometimes change is a good thing!
2. CHANGE IS A PART OF LIFE.
Life transitions happen whether we are ready or not. We must learn to adapt and sometimes modify our direction. Change often means a loss of what we were comfortable with. To those things we mourn, we regret, we even have a sense of anxiety.
But we also look ahead! Changes in life can provide fresh opportunities. Look at the number of changes that have happened over your lifetime. Most of them have allowed our world to improve. Just consider what we have gained over the years because of change. Maybe the “good old days” weren’t quite as good as we remembered. Which brings me to my last thought…
3. GOD IS STILL GOD!
Recently we have been studying, The Real God, by Chip Ingram, seeing God as He longs for us to see Him. Theologians refer to God as Immutable. It means that God never changes. We could say that God is always consistent. He is reliable. He is faithful.
God knows the end from the beginning. And He knows everything in between. I have to admit, 2020 was a very difficult year. It was hard for me personally and has had its setbacks for the Choice Family. I would not have chosen the past year. But God did. And He has a purpose. God has a plan. God is still God and He wants to use the events of 2020 for our good.
So, these are a few lessons that 2020 has taught me. What about you? What are you learning about yourself, your family, your future? Are you regretting your losses or looking forward to what God has in store? Are you resisting change or accepting it? Or even better, choose to embrace it!
Tim Wilcox
Pastor, Choice Baptist Church
Fredericksburg, Virginia
