Happy New Year! Thank You, Lord, We Made It Through 2020!

It's true, 2020 was tough. It's true, the pandemic has brought a lot of changes to this world. It's true, our lives will never be the same again. But there are still so many, many things to be thankful for, and those are what we should be focusing on.

The fact that you are able to read this blog post means you are alive and have eyes that can see. Those are already two big blessings. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) website, as of December 31, 2020, there have been 9,230 deaths in the Philippines alone and 1,798,050 worldwide caused by COVID-19. We mourn for them and pray for the families and friends they have left behind. 

Photo courtesy: WHO

Through this sorrow that we feel for those who have passed, is the realization of what should matter most to us. Our relationship with God, our relationship with our family, relatives and friends and our health are what we should cherish and treasure the most. Material things like new clothes, gadgets, money will become the least of our concerns when faced with sickness and the possibility of death.

Photo courtesy: WHO

I have always embraced the principle of 'counting my blessings'. But it has never been more alive and relevant than in 2020. The past year has taught me to never take any blessing for granted. As I wake up each morning, I try to do, what I call, my "litany of blessings". I pray silently and enumerate as many blessings as I can and thank God for each of them:

... that I woke up to a new day
... that my husband (who usually wakes up before me) is awake and well
... that my son is with me and also doing well
... that we are all in good health
... that I can see
... that I can hear
... that I can smell
... that I can taste
... that I can feel
... that I can speak
... that I can move
... that I can walk
... that there is a roof over us and a house strong enough to shelter us
... that we are able to sleep comfortably at night
... that we have food on our table for every meal
... that we have a safe place to live in
... for the air we breathe
... for the clothes we wear
... for the water we drink
... for neighbors
... for friends
... for relatives

There are so many more that I thank God for every morning and every night that I pray — too many to write here. 

It is much easier to say, "thank You, Lord for everything" but when we mention each and every blessing we want to thank Him for, we can clearly see how many blessings we receive everyday or even every second. We can see how the blessings far outnumber the problems. We can see how much God loves us and how He takes care of us in every area of our life. We can see how mighty, powerful and faithful God is to provide us with all the things that we need.

Sure, there are still problems and trials. But as we count our blessings, our faith and trust in God grow, thus, making us more confident that we will overcome all as long us we hold on to Him.

2020 is the most unique year in my entire lifetime. It is surreal to think that my 15-year-old son is already experiencing this kind of situation. My parents used to tell me about their hardships during World War 2, but that happened long before I was born. 

I am welcoming 2021 with open arms! I look forward to this exciting year with hope and optimism, bringing important lessons from 2020. God bless us all!