Happy New Year’s eve to everyone! It is the final day of the year 2020. I’ve never heard more people spread the message of “see ya later 2020” “ what a year 2020”, who would have thought 2020 was going to turn out the way that it did! I had envisioned this year to be a year that we would all see so clearly because in the optometry community… 2020 vision means that you can see things perfectly right?
Reflecting back on this unforgettable year, I have the choice to see this year as glass half empty or glass half full. Today, I am choosing to see 2020 as glass half full. Why not? I can honestly share that this year for me has brought on endless blessings from beginning to end. We all have experienced that one defining moment in our life where we just wondered how the heck could this have happened. Well this year was that for me… looking back to look forward with a hopeful heart for how 2021 could be better than 2020.
But God in His love, grace, mercy, and faithfulness saw us through each day of 2020. Yet in the midst of the trials and tribulations that this year brought on all over the world, there were blessings upon blessings from our precious Lord. God showed up for us each and every moment of 2020. His intentional hearts for His children was oh so evident. This and many other verses in the book of truth really stood out to help solidify the ever present God we serve is all about showing up to love each of us to the very core.
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
I recalled a daily surrender prayer asking God to help me see clearly in 2020 why He would create me for this world. This has been a prayer that I prayed for about 10 years. What is YOUR purpose for me LORD? I barely understand english let alone speak english so eloquently like the people in the bible. Why would you go through all the trouble to place me in a foreign country where it is away from the comfort of a home with two rooms (a bedroom and living room with kitchen) in Vung Tau, Vietnam? Why the United States Lord? Why not keep me in Vung Tau so that I can be comfortable in my own skin and not be shamed because of the color of my skin? But God, He has such an amazing sense of humor. Yet, I trust in the God that has been there for me even before I knew Him.
The blessing or the gift of time that was given to us in 2020 caused me to dive deep into a rabbit hole of discovering God’s purpose for my life. This year, I dedicated to showing up and being intentional for 2020. What is God going to teach me this year?
Go ahead, sit back, and grab a cup of coffee as I shared a story of my heart full of gratitude for 2020.
God sought me out even while I was in my mother’s womb. He had a purpose and a plan for me. I need to backtrack to the story of my amazing mom and how she came to be the greatest of all time. My mom who was adopted. Yes, but the thing was… she wasn’t even in an orphanage at all. She was left on the side of the road as a baby because her biological parents didn’t have the financial means to care for her. A couple that couldn’t have children of their own pick up my mom and raised her. Yep this is a true story… it’s a God story. God was with us every step of the way. Every child in this world is a gift from the Lord.
How the heck did a baby that was left on the side of a road have the gift of raising 5 children? I’m one of the 5 children that my mom raised. I’m in awe of God’s faithfulness y’all! Tears strolling down my eyes as I reflect back on 2020. What a year it was filled with God’s teaching me about His endless love for me. God knew that coming to America is just part of the story for our family. A growth mindset, a thankful heart, and trust in Christ is what it took to navigate through the difficult journey of finding our own freedom in America.
The blessing of learning a new language knowing that it will be difficult to ever grasp all the words in the Merriam Webster dictionary. Even when you think you know enough to string a sentence together, you will get knocked down and laughed at for not pronouncing the words correctly.
The blessings of acclimating to a new culture where finding acceptance equals to working hard to earn the titles of xyz… or is it? It is yet to be defined… where does your true identity come from?
The blessings of God showed me that He prepared a path just for me to walk on with Him. The question is…will I trust God to do what He’s calling me to do. Will I know what to do when I say I surrender to YOU Lord. It is your will that I’m living this day. It is by your grace that I have been saved. So will you show up and teach me to walk side by side with you Lord? Indeed that’s why God did for me. He can do the same for you. I can declare without a doubt that with an attitude of gratitude, God has shown up 365 days of 2020 for me to see clearly that God placed me in America to tell the story of a foreigner from a third world country to a land of freedom where His promises for me is live a life full of richness in His mercy and love.
My prayer for you as you close in on 2020 and embark on 2021 that you can see clearly the purpose and plan God has just for you ~ Jeremiah 29:11~ . YES, the YOU that is reading this story because if He has a purpose for a non english speaking asian me, He has a glorious purpose and plan for you too! May 2021 be a year filled with peace, joy, and full of love for a fruitful life for you.
