Let Us Come and See

How do I put into words that will completely describe this past year? A year filled with disappointment, frustration and hardships in so many different forms.  A year where my heart at times shut down just the same as many stores, churches and businesses did. My emotions have been all over the place.  One day up.  The next day way down. I would love to have a dollar for everything I said or even thought could anything good come from a year like 2020. 

As I say good bye to this indescribable year, I am reminded before I turn the page to start the first chapter in a brand new year of a certain verse of scripture.  I am reminded that  “The Lord works all things to good of those that love him.” Good from 2020? Is God serious? 

God reminded me this week that Nathaniel said the same thing about Jesus and the town where he lived all those years ago. Philip told him that he had found the Messiah that they had spent years waiting for.  That this Jesus from the small farming town called Nazareth with less than 500 people was the very son of God.  That this small town boy from a working class family from such an ordinary town would grow up to accomplish extraordinary things and usher in salvation to the world.  A place of such obscurity would be known as the place the person who would have a name above all names would have resided. Nathaniel spoke from his honest heart that day when he asked in John 1:46, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Phillip then replied, “Come and see.”

That invitation still stands today.  God invites us all to come and see. 

Just ask the blind man who lived for years in darkness. Left to sit beside the side of the road begging for bread. Desiring to have just a normal life like everyone else day after day. Desiring with all his heart to see the colors of the world. And then suddenly one day this Jesus opened his eyes to see the beautiful light of day. Ask him if anything good came from Nazareth. 

Ask the family that had run out of wine at the wedding.  What shame and disgrace they would have faced among the members of their hometown if Jesus hadn’t turned the water into wine that day.  They would have forever be remembered as the family that failed at giving hospitality to their neighbor. Ask them if anything good came out of Nazareth. 

Ask Jairus. The father that would have walked to the ends of the earth to have his little girl healed.  The father that couldn’t have imagined living in a world without seeing her smile and seeing her grow up. Ask him if anything good came from Nazareth after Jesus had raised her from her death bed completely healed.

Ask Lazarus who had took his last breath and lay wrapped from head to toe in grave clothes for four days.  Ask him as breath came again into his lifeless body and his strength was completely restored. Ask him as he walked out of the grave by the sound of His voice if anything good came from Nazareth. 

Ask the woman with the issue of blood that spent 12 long years bleeding and treated as if she was unclean by all those who knew her.  Ask her after she had spent all her money to doctors and had only gotten worse.  Ask her after she touched just the hem of his garment and was completely made whole again. Ask after she looked this Jesus in the eye and he called her daughter. Ask her if anything good came from Nazareth.  

Ask the lepers who lived as outcasts of society. Forever banned from being among even their family. Living a life of feeling unclean and shame.  Ask them after the leprosy fell off leaving them with baby skin and completely healed and every stain of shame wiped away.  Ask them if anything good came from Nazareth. 

As I thought on all these miracles among others and began to reflect on this past year, I had to answer Nathaniels question for myself.  Yes, good had indeed came from Nazareth. And Yes, good had even came from this unlikely of places. This pandemic year 2020. 

All because of that same Jesus who came from Nazareth good came and will continue to come from the year 2020.  Even when I too like Nathaniel sometimes can’t imagine that it can. 

Because…..

1. In a year of a pandemic, quarantine, sickness in my family, uncertainty, fear, sadness and a whole lot of frustration the amazing thing is that God met me this year. I’ve had more time to spend in His precious word. Blessing always follows when I so fully give my heart to him by spending time with him. As I struggled outwardly and emotionally, spiritually I have been renewed. 
2. God brought some wonderful people into my life through zoom during this shut down that I would have never met otherwise.  They have strengthened me and blessed me immensely.  I have also got to spend some extra time with my grandson.  Adding an answered prayer to my list of good things that happened this year. 
3. I learned to accept help this year.  That may sound easy for you but it took some effort for someone with a “do it myself mentality”  like me.  It turned out to be a blessing. 
4. I started a blog that I have wanted to start for years and didn’t have a clue what to do. God put the right people in my path to help me and give me the push I needed. 
5. I upped my prayer game this year and it is still on my list of goals for 2021. I have found strength I didn’t know I had down on my knees and prayer walking in the park. Try it sometime. 
6. I sewed seed this year and some are still in the ground.  I’ve watered them with lots of tears but this I know: The days will come when I get to see them burst through the ground. And it will be good. So I add I have much to look forward to this year. 
7. I began to be able to say out loud that I am worth it. That the blessings in my life aren’t just due to God’s goodness but that I am worth good things happening to me.  Why? Because He says I am.  He thought so on the cross when He died for me and he hasn’t changed his mind. The last several years have been hard and I had forgotten that.  It made my soul feel good to be reminded.

It has been a tough year all the way around. I’ve missed going places I wanted to go. I’ve missed gathering in groups with my family and honestly I have grieved over just feeling normal again. I know people who have lost family due to Covid and it makes my heart so heavy and sad. Days I handled things well and days I completely failed. But when I stop and reflect on this past year and ask has anything good came from 2020 I will have to reply, “Yes, it has.”

All made possible because good first came from the most unlikely of places called Nazareth all those years ago. A place just like with this year 2020 where no one expected good or anything of value to ever happen. 

2021 here we come. Some things I will gladly leave behind in 2020.  And even though some unwanted things will follow me into the new year, I just have to ask what good things will come through you?  I wonder…..

Let us come and see. 

See ya in the New Year,

Susan