How come it’s 2021 and I still have 2020 Problems?

We were all afraid of that. We ate black-eyed peas, greens, and opened our doors and windows to let 2020 out and 2021. Unfortunately, our problems still haven’t left us as we asked them to do. We still have a pandemic, we’re still social distancing, and I still keep forgetting to get my mask out of the car. What are we to do?

• Address those old issues. Just because a new year starts doesn’t mean our life restarts. We’ll continue to work, go to school, have ailments and problems. Many of the things we should have addressed in 2020 will continue to plague us as we live into 2021. Take inventory and see if you need to make amends. Maybe you need to take a dose of courage and address an issue you’ve been avoiding for a while. It may be as simple as a talk with a friend or family member. Don’t fear a conversation. Take a glance back, fix the problem, and move forward.
• Recognize some issues are out of your control. Unfortunately, our government didn’t ask our opinion about Operation Warpspeed and how to distribute the vaccines. Yes, we hope they asked Chick-Fil-A for advice. As it stands, we’ll continue to have a pandemic in 2021 as we wait for herd immunity. That issue, as well as a host of others, is completely out of our control. It’s likely you’ll have problems that you didn’t create and you can’t fix. In those circumstances, the best thing we can do is be patient and prayerful.
• Be thankful for your problems. I know, this doesn’t sound right. But, what if our problems are really opportunities to overcome and improve? Many of the problems we face are merely flaws in relationships and ourselves that we desperately need to address. Sometimes God allows situations in order to help refine our faith in Him. Maybe, the solving of our problems today will help overcome them later in life (my 7th Grade Algebra told me we learned in order to help us think later in life, too.). Reminds me of the song “Scars” by I Am They.

We will have 2020 problems in 2021, but we don’t have to have them all. Besides, we know 2021 will have a few curveballs of its own.