On January 2nd, 2020, I published the most ironic blog post of my life. Titled “Why 2020 Will Be the Best Year of My Life“, the post outlined my plans for the year and detailed how I thought the year would go.
Boy, was I wrong.
In fact, I was so far off, it’s rather pathetic. This wasn’t just the worst year of my life, this was the worst year of almost everyone’s life.
To recap what has happened so far this year, despite it being only June.
- WW3 almost happened
- Kobe Bryant died
- COVID-19 struck
- Aliens
- Killer hornets
- Quarantine
- George Floyd’s death
- Riots and looting
- Ebola is back
I personally think that Kobe Bryant was one of the Avengers, because the moment he died, all Hell broke loose.
Yet, aside from the irony of the post’s title, much of what I wrote at that time still rings true today, even in a rather uncanny way.
“Some forms of change can be beneficial to us, some more obvious than others. While a job change that increases your salary by 40% is an obviously good change, a death in the family would likely be considered the opposite. Despite this quick classification, you may not realize at the time that the death of that loved one will actually shape you and your relationship with God in the future.”
Little did I know, within the span of the next five months, I would lose two close family members. Because of COVID-19’s impact upon these deaths, neither situation was easy, and it became extremely difficult to say goodbye in both cases.
I continued the post with something so accurate, it has slightly frightened me.
“This is where Romans 8:28 comes into play. It says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” The verse is very clear- God works all things for good, including change. Should change be resisted? Maybe, maybe not. It depends on the situation. However, one thing is for certain- God works all change for his good, and in some way, change will be good for you or someone around you.
2020 is going to be a year of change. Every year is, after all. It’s impossible to go through an entire year without experiencing some change, whether to yourself or someone close to you.”
Romans 8:28 has become one of my two life verses. In the most difficult and dark situation of my life, I held on to that verse like a lifeline, and that verse helped remind me where my help comes from- God.
It was through this dark situation and more similar times afterwards that I held on to my mantra. Call it blind faith, but I trust God in everything. Even when I questioned what He was doing or felt like He had made a mistake, I had to trust Him.
The second paragraph was also uncanny, especially given that none of what happened was planned. My prediction of change was spot on; 2020 has brought the greatest changes of my life, most bad, but some good.
Wrapping up the post, I created a few goals for myself. Some were dumb, but a few were meaningful and have, in fact, since been fulfilled (or are close to being finished).
I set a goal of reaching 1,000 followers on my blog before the end of the year. At that time, I called the goal ambitious, but hopefully predicted I would reach 1,000 before November.
It’s June, and I’m well past 900.
Finally, I set a goal to grow in my relationships with God, my family, and my friends. Though I’ve been through a lot, most particularly in my relationships with my family, God has remained good, and the most unimaginable growth has occurred on multiple levels.
So, despite all the junk that has happened within the last six months, God has remained good, and good has, in fact, come out of these times. In fact, you could say that this time created possibly one of the best times of my life, simply because of the growth triggered by change.
“Despite all the junk that has happened within the last six months, God has remained good, and good has, in fact, come out out of these times.”
Tweet
I don’t know what the rest of the year entails. At this rate, I figure that a meteorite will hit Earth in October, and Russia will launch a nuke in December. By the end of the year, the only living creature on the planet will likely be Queen Elizabeth, but who am I to judge?
But no matter what happens, God is good, and He has brought miraculous change in this time. I trust Him to continue doing so time and time again.
-Elisha McFarland
Note: For some reason, the original title was changed to “Why 2020 was the worst year of my life”, leaving the “best and” part out. My most sincere apologies if that became clickbait.
Last post: What “The Hunger Games” Taught Us About Literary Worldview
Featured post: What Does It Really Mean to be a Teen?
Related post: 900 Followers Celebration!
Elisha McFarland 
Amen! It’s so comforting that with God, we can find joy and goodness in even the hardest of times, and we don’t have to be afraid because we have Him on our side. I can’t imagine how terrible it would be to live without Him. Great post!
LikeLiked by 3 people
Absolutely! He is good, all the time!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve been asking the same question to myself.
LikeLiked by 2 people
xD glad to hear I’m not alone
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wonderful post! God was the same, He is the same, and He always will be the same!
~Esther
LikeLiked by 1 person
Amen!
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a crazy year. The Queen Elizabeth comment is accurate 😂 You might’ve heard it before, but I love the quote, “I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but I know who holds tomorrow”. God will definitely use this year to glorify himself by sustaining his people 🙂 Continuing to pray for you and your fam!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mm that quote is fantastic. Thanks for the prayers!
LikeLiked by 1 person
God is in control of every thing we have only one job to stick on him AMEN
LikeLike
AMEN
LikeLike
So very true, God is so incredibly good, even in all this darkness. Things never seem to work how we planned but God is always the same. Great post, thanks for sharing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Amen, and you’re welcome!
LikeLike
2020 certainly has been a strange year. But I believe that it’s been used for plenty of good too. Obviously, God’s plan is always good, even if we don’t understand it. I don’t think you’re the only one who has grown–though I’m sure most of us haven’t experienced anything like what you have.
There’s one song I keep coming back to lately, by Andrew Peterson (who is a phenomenal songwriter). It’s called The Far Country, and the first verse goes like this:
Father Abraham
Do you remember when
You were called to a land
And didn’t know the way
‘Cause we are wandering
In a foreign land
We are children of the
Promise of the faith
And I long to find it
Can you feel it, too?
That the sun that’s shining
Is a shadow of the truth
This is a far country, a far country
Not my home
The whole thing is on Spotify (on the album of the same name). It’s a song that I think addresses just this sort of situation: things may seem bad and we may not understand them, but this isn’t our final home.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Absolutely, and that song hits home. Good comment, thanks for bringing that- I def needed to hear (read?) it.
LikeLike
2020 has been an odd year for sure. I always remember Romans 8:28 and Jeremiah 29:11 for difficult times like this. Just remember, God will never change and He has an amazing plan for you life.
I never heard about the aliens… do tell!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mm amen, and xD you just have to Google “2020 aliens”
LikeLike
Amazing post, and thank you for sharing your thoughts. Romans 8:28 has always been one of my favorite verses, and it is truly powerful in pretty much every situation, of life.
You know what’s crazy? I think God uses things as simple as writing a blog post, to shape us. I’ve found that, you can passionately write out something you believe in, and then later, God will use that to teach you new things. He uses what you thought you knew, to teach you more on that subject. It’s frightening to think about (and why I personally believe a lot of people are afraid to write deep things…), that what you write, could come back at you, to teach you bigger things. And yet at the same time, it’s pretty amazing!! I’ve had it happen several times, and it’s pretty crazy.
I’m sorry that this year has been so awful for you. I will be praying that the rest half of this year will be quite amazing for you, and that you will continue to grow and learn things, you never thought possible.
Okay, there’s my long comment.
Until later,
Keziah
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mm absolutely, we are a complete work-in-progress and God continues to shape us.Thank you so much for the prayer; I can’t tell you how much that means to me.
Blessings,
Elisha
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: 10 Tips to Understand and Better Learn About the Opposite Sex – Elisha McFarland