2020 - A year to see clearly

This morning as I sat to have some time in silence, I was reading about starting this year with a new perspective. Perspective is important. If we don't have an accurate perspecitve about where we are, it is impossible to know the correct steps to get where we want to go. If you know me at all, you know that I love resolutions. I love to end every year with a list of what did we do, what can we do better? How can I become the best version of myself? The perspective that was offered in a little devotional I was reading was to ask the question of this year:
What do I want to be different?

 It's really an excellent question. I am a do-er, a mover, I love to go and do. It's just part of who I am. So, naturally I was working it through that if I want the year to be different, it means I have to do some things differently. Things don't just magically change because we want them to be different. It is our choices that lead to the change we want (or in some cases, it is our choices that keep us exactly where we didn't want to be). But more on that later.. that topic is a whole book in itself.  I also stopped to think (with much gratitude) of what things I loved about last year.

I am so thankful because I absolutely love my career. Real Estate has been such a great fit for me. I love people and I love homes and the combining of those two in order to usher someone into the walls that will become their home - their place of peace and rest -  is a beautiful thing. I am blessed to have a job that I really enjoy. I am looking forward this year to helping my friends who are clients, or clients who become friends invest in something that helps them to feel at home. What a sweet gig!!

I love my family.I love my husband dearly. He is such a good man. God knew that we would compliment each other in ways that are so necessary for our survival through these hard days on the earth. We have 8 wonderful children. 8 completely different and completely amazing kids. We have 8 kids that have been through abuse, that have been wounded in places that seem impossible to mend, and we are called to be the parents. It is overwhelming and it is humbling to think of the responsibility we carry. This is the part where we know and rejoice that we have a God who is not small. When Jesus entered the scene, actually even before He entered the scene we were told One was coming who would be called Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace, Mighty God and Emmanuel. Daily we need Him to be every one of those things in our hearts and our home. A lot of days we share laughter, many days we share tears, and every day we have a lot on our plate. It is a crazy combination of joy and devastation, complete peace and total unrest, hopelessness and great hope.

There are days I can sense it is making me who I am supposed to be - leading me to my destiny, and there are days that I feel it will be my complete undoing.  I see those words and they don't seem to make sense, but it is accurate. We set out to create a home filled with Peace, Hope, Love and Safety. Rob and I have reflected on this past year and we see how far we have come in those things, and we are thankful. But, it is messy. It is hard. There are days that I am silent because nothing I have to say is helpful or hopeful or kind. But, there are also days that I can see clearly, and those days help me remember that it is God who bears the burden of all of our hurts and hang ups. It is my job to love Him and love others, but it is He who carries the whole weight of it. 

Image taken from an article by PRIME

That brings me right back to where I started - even the name of the post. What a gift that this year is 2020. Immediately I thought of "perfect vision" 20/20. Then it dawned on me that clear vision is exactly what I want this year to be about. I want to see things as the Lord sees things. I want to be able to supernaturally view each day for what it really is. Wouldn't that be something?
I guess right now I am so taken with that notion I will leave you with song lyrics and head off to pray that this year will be a year of having eyes to see, and thank our Beautiful God that even when we can't see clearly, he always can.

Happy New Year friends! No matter what your year holds, if you will let Jesus be a part of your life - you can be sure that He will hold you.

Below are two of my favorite "vision" songs. Hopefully you are blessed by the lyrics.

God I look to you - Bethel Music

God, I look to You, I won't be overwhelmed
Give me vision to see things like You do
God I look to You, You're where my help comes from
Give me wisdom, You know just what to do

And I will love You, Lord, my strength (sing that out)
I will love You, Lord, my shield
I will love You, Lord, my rock forever
All my days I will love You, God

Be Thou my Vision - penned by St. Dallán Forgaill as a poem and translated by Mary Byrne 

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one

Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art

High King of Heaven, my victory won
May I reach Heaven's joys, O bright Heav'n's Sun
Heart of my own heart, whate'er befall
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all