20 Awesome Takeaways for 2020

Moving through the Covid-19 Pandemic we have all shared moments of grand disappointment, everyone has been touched, no one escaped bearing some amount of grief, and some have borne great loss. At the same time, there have been some amazing opportunities that have been opened to people with eyes to see and courage to pursue the possibilities. In the list below, I want to share 20 Awesome Takeaways from our experience of 2020. These takeaways may be enduring lessons, things we experienced, or moments that turned a corner, or revealed God's faithfulness anew. 

1. An Engagement. One of the big life decisions parents pray about for their kids is if and who they will marry. In May of 2020, Moses - our eldest - introduced us to Miss Emily, a young lady he had known for a few years. It did not take long for the rest of us to perceive that this combination was good. In October, Emily and Moses were officially engaged, with a date set for late May 2021. We were delighted to be present for the engagement festivities along with Emily's parents and Emily and Moses' grandparents and other family. 
2. A Weed Free Garden (mostly). Every spring that we have lived in Missouri we have planted a garden. Generally there are about 10 days in June or July that we depart for a trip. When we return, the garden is full of weeds, and we normally stop our garden adventures. This year, with few places to go, we had a mostly weed free garden. We were able to grow sweet corn, pumpkins, tomatoes, green, red, and yellow peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, spaghetti squash, and more. It was a great year gardening.
3. Walks on Sunday Morning. For more than two decades my Sunday morning routine has meant that I rise early, get out of the door, and check in with Anna and the kids later in the day. When Covid hit and we went into lock-down, worship went virtual, and there was time on Sunday morning to go for a walk. I have appreciated this different pace and starting the morning off with a walk with Anna.
4. The Trampoline. We have had a trampoline in our backyard since 2012. When we brought the first trampoline home all of the kids were smaller, and less active in community events. The trampoline was used much. As we engaged in community events, and as the kids got older, the trampoline saw less use. This year, and I mean the whole year, the trampoline has been a place to play, relax in the sun, and for the girls to practice back and front flips. (I've got my front flip perfected;-)
5. We Completed A Puzzle. 30 November my Grandmother Markel passed away. She was 93, lived with grace and grit through a lot, and gave a lot of life to others. One of the activities she liked to do  was build puzzles. In December we had to quarantine. When we realized how many days that would be, we decided to order a puzzle. The puzzle arrived, and in short order, we completed it. Then we said, 'what do we do with a puzzle once it's put together'? We decided to glue it and turn it into a piece of art!
6. My Dad started using a cell phone. My dad had been a hold out on using a cell phone. In the early 1980's he pioneered, in the county where he was an elected official, the integration of computers into daily operation. But when it came to using a cell phone, he was a laggard. In the early part of 2020, with a couple of instances where he was needed, but out of touch, he caved. Since then, he has been available via land-line and a cell phone. 
7. A New Ride. As the kids have gotten older transportation has been a top of mind "felt need." Heading into the fall of 2019 we could see a growing need for a different automobile in our garage. When or how to acquire another vehicle was sketchy in our view. Also in the fall of 2019 I had heard about a grant that pastors could apply for, made possible by the Eli Lilly Foundation. The grant application had separate spaces for the pastor and their spouse to list some desired outcomes of a grant. Anna was bold in her statements; bold like Jesus' story of the persistent widow in Luke 18. The grant committee considered her bold request, and in January of 2020 we were able to acquire a 2010 Honda Pilot, without debt. We are thankful to the Lord for how our needs and desires are met. We are also reminded that we need to be more bold in our asking.
8. A Surgery. Heading into 2020 Asa mentioned to us that was experiencing significant pain in his hip. While he was home for spring break he had a couple of doctors visits. The takeaway was that he had a bone growth on his hip and it was causing internal tissue damage. When the Covid shut-down happened the surgery schedule was put on hold. As the days and weeks passed the pain grew stronger, and Asa's ability to function well was challenged. In early June he had the surgery. Over the summer he worked through physical therapy and is in a much improved place. We are thankful for the medical staff and their expertise to help bring about healing. We are also thankful that the Lord is faithful, and that waiting, while hard, is part of God's redeeming work.
9. Time Together. When I said I was going to build this list, Anna mentioned that she was thankful for the dialed back pace that gave us time together. With things cancelled and the calendars cleared... it was us, together, and that was good.
10. Vacation Time - I took it all. Heading into 2020 I shared the practice of writing a Command Philosophy with the staff team at church/work. In composing my own Command Philosophy I indicated that I was going to use all my vacation time, something that I have struggle to accomplish in the past. This year, I accomplished the goal. Taking the time has not meant we went away for vacation, but it has meant I got away from the front lines of work. It also meant that on this 10 acres of land there has been a tending of soul and family that has kept me fit for the work at hand.
11. Visiting Family. Like most, our interaction with extended family has been brief, but we have had a couple of visits. I was able to visit with Anna's sister and family in North Carolina in January. Anna and the kids connected with them in July. We saw several of my family in August at an aunt's funeral and I connected with my mom's side in early December. These brief moments renew the family ties. In a recent conversation with one of my youngest nieces she asked me if I could "pick her up tomorrow and bring her to my house?" At the age of 5, she does not know the distance in miles; I am glad there is not a distance in heart!  
12. Neighbors. 2020 has been a year that Anna and I have walked every morning, with few exceptions. On our walks we have had the opportunity to talk with our neighbors on a regular basis. Along the way, we have discovered that some of our neighbors have almost set their clocks by seeing us on the road. Through one incident we almost ascribed to our neighborhood Jan Karon's attribution of Mitford - "we take care of our own." We are thankful for the neighbors we have and how they look after one another in a healthy way. 
13. Luna. Our dog has given us some excitement this year. Our neighbors to the south decided to get chickens. Luna likes to visit the neighbors, and she really likes to play with other critters. Unfortunately she killed all of the neighbors baby chicks. The neighbors were undeterred, they tried again. We curtailed Luna's affection for playing with chickens. They still have chickens and Luna has discovered other dogs in the neighborhood to play with. This neighborhood play has created opportunities to get to know our neighbors better. 
14. A New Hobby? When Asa graduated High School we threw a little party and we had a lot of family visit from Michigan. My brother brought his camper. As he was packing up to head back to Michigan the two planks that his camper had been sitting upon cracked and broke. He put them to the side and said to me, 'you might as well keep them.' I asked where they came from. He said, they came from our grandparents house. I kept the planks. In the fall I began the process of making picture frames from them. I have done a few things with wood, but nothing as fine as a frame project. I have made nine frames so far, with plans to make more. It might be a new hobby... it is certainly a new skill. 
15. A Round Table. Several years ago Anna and I were privileged to travel to China and Korea as a part of my doctoral work. On our trip we noticed that the tables, especially in China, were round. We made a decision that when we moved to a new place, we would have a round table. This year our table has been the source of much laughter, crucial conversations, happy feasts, deliberative planning, prayer, and continued fellowship. It was at our table that we conversed about the great questions of the day; excessive police force, black lives matter, social justice, the candidates for election, the outcome of the election, etc. As you might imagine we are not of one mind on the realities facing us. Truth be told, it is really hard for one person to be fully consistent within themselves. Regardless of where we land at the moment, we have stayed in communion with one another. The Table has been a place where we can talk about anything, pursue truth, pray for one another, and stay in love.
16. Teamwork. Heading into 2020 we had some adventurous goals at work, those goals were going to require good teamwork. As the year unfolded some of the goals had to be set aside, but some of the goals were recalibrated. We were able to create an on-line worship format that is engaging. We put together a writing team and produced a book, "Jesus is Greater, A field Guide to Colossians." This gave a platform for groups to connect, converse, and grow in their faith. We held a couple of training events for people in Springfield to be trained and encouraged in Christian Community Development. We put in place the framework for a new Community Development Corporation, Flourish CDC (flourishcdc.org). The teamwork that transpired among God's people to move the ball forward in mission is encouraging. In the desert God brings forth new streams (Isa 32.2).    
17. Phone Calls, Pumpkins, Christmas Carols, and Innovation! In categorizing the church where I serve, church sociologists would classify it as a large church. Churches, according to their classification, generally operate within certain parameters and norms. As a large church, 'the personal touch' is rare. Large churches are know for having an air of professionalism, reflecting a corporate culture. Connectivity happens in public gathering spaces. What happens when those spaces are off limits? As a team we prayed for insight into how we might maintain connectivity and relationship. In April, we started calling everybody in the congregation. In October we rallied volunteers to drop off a decorative pumpkin and a prayer note at the home of every member. In December we held four nights of Christmas Caroling and Candlelight outside, in the church parking lot. These innovations to ministry increased our relational connectivity and we have been hearing of how encouraging it has been to the congregation. 
18. 52 Stories. Heading into 2020 the worship team at Schweitzer planned a yearlong video series whereby people in the congregation would share a part of their story about how God was at work in their lives. This turned into one of my favorite moments in worship each week. We heard about all kinds of experiences and challenges of life, from people in all kinds of stations in life, and about how God is at work redeeming persons and the world. If you would like to see them you can visit the Schweitzer Media page on Youtube.
19. Year of Jubilee. Leviticus 25 describes a gift that the Lord gives to the Israelites - that every 50th year all debts shall be cancelled, every person in bondage given their freedom, people return to their homes and renew their relationships, the land rests, the people rest. While Leviticus describes this experience as aspirational in nature, we do not see it practiced in scripture with intentionality. We do hear the prophets lament that this gift has been spurned, and it does not go well for Israel when they turn away from God's gift. In mid-summer I called a friend in California. I asked how she was weathering the storm of Covid and she said she was great. She was taking this year as a gift from the Lord, a year of Jubilee. She said, we can either receive the gift, or we can get all caught up in denial or fretting - both of which take extraordinary energy and are generally fruitless in the end. My friend's comments helped me dial back expectations, engage more in exploring, and become content with accomplishing little things, at home and at work. 
20. Anticipation. The act of waiting with baited breath has been renewed. From wondering if there was going to be toilet paper, hand soap, grease, or lumber at the store; to looking ahead towards a wedding, the launching of a new Community Development Corporation, or the day when we no long have to wear masks - there is great anticipation about the future. We have learned that everything does not happen on the time frame we would like, or as its been done in the past, but there remain fantastic adventures ahead. The Lord is faithful. The sun is going to come up tomorrow. So today, we wait in anticipatory hope, persevering in the work of today, and resting in the care of the Good Shepherd, who is always with us.

I could go on, but at this point I'm wondering; What is on your list of awesome takeaways for 2020? How are you celebrating the year that was, recognizing that, with all of its frustrations it was still full of mercy and grace? 

God's blessings to you today and for the year ahead!

Jason