At the beginning of 2020 I was asking God what I needed to say “no” to in order to say “yes” to other things He might have for me. What, even good things, did I need to say “no” to?
When everything got shut down, it was frustrating because it felt like a lot of the things I took for granted as being consistent in my life got taken away. At first, I tried to control it all by creating a strict schedule for myself even though nothing was really on the calendar.
But then I realized that, in a way, God was answering my prayer and asking me to loosen my grip on my expectations for life. He was saying “SLOW DOWN, rest in me, see what I have for you.” With everything cleared off the table, I didn’t have to say “no” because it was already done for me. Instead, I was freed to say “yes” to opportunities that I previously might have been oblivious to. God began opening doors to use + explore my gifts in different ways.
Not saying it was easy at all – 2020 has been rough, frustrating, disheartening, and so full of growth and grief. It’s been a somber kind of beautiful.
One of my many takeaways from this year is the reminder that in Jesus, there is abundant life beyond what we can imagine despite how dismal the world around us may seem. I’m still going into 2021 with a lot of unknowns but through it all, He is unchanging; consistent in the chaos, faithful to expand our horizons and shift our perspectives.
Rebekah Diaddigo 