The thing about favorite things is that they don't change- not the truly favorite things.  Like the way I like wool socks with the red line around the top.  I don't know if that will ever change.  

2020 has been a year for the books.  

I'll spare you all the details, but the year has affected me in a few different ways.  I don't think anyone has missed the way the world seemed to morph into a new place overnight.  

I was looking through the National Geographic's photos of families adapting to Coronavirus around the world (see here).  I think one of the main themes I see is all these people trying to make sense of the new way our world works and trying to find new and different ways to connect with one another.

People are forced to spend more time with a smaller group of people.  People are forced to be even more intentional about connecting.  People are coming up with different creative ways to see the people that they love. People are choosing to cohort with family or friends.  

One of my favorite things is people.  I don't think that one's going to change, so it must be one of my truly favorite things.

It's probably not a huge surprise that I rejoice in the way people are figuring out ways to be with one another and love one another.  I think it's actually really beautiful to see the intentionality of people and the ways they are able to rally together.

People are good for us.  I think God made us that way.

It's an odd world indeed when we have to navigate how we are going to see people and who we are going to see.  And yet, I think that the very act of this brings these things to the surface - the fact that we need one another and the fact that we want to be with one another.

So yeah, 2020 is weird and different than we expected.

But we still love one another.  We still cheer each other on.  We've adapted and encouraged others to adapt.  We've been in each others lives and sometimes we've taken risks to do so.  We've done Thanksgiving differently or chosen to do it the same - because it's Thanksgiving after all.  

When I think of this year, I see the significant challenges and changes around me as a result of the Coronavirus. Some of these changes make me uncomfortable and have been difficult.  And yet I've also gained some significant new people in my circles.  I've been able to slow down and narrow in on what is important and that- for me- is always about people.  

A while ago I came up with this word.  It's a word for being intentional about loving people.  

I call it Carving.

Other people might call it something else.  Like Love Does.   

Now I'm not a carver. At all.  But I think the one time I did try to carve it meant that I was being intentional and that I was trying to take away some pieces of wood to leave some sort of better masterpiece behind.

This concept was birthed out of the way I was living life back in spring.  I found that I had these grand ideas of loving people and what that looked like.  I was sad when I saw that for all my ideas, there was no action.  I needed to take away the things in my life that were distracting and took away from loving others.

At that time my job took up so much of my time. I was also going through a difficult health hurdle that made being intentional and connecting with others really hard.  Carving,  for me, was just about taking the space and time for people and doing things intentionally for people and with people even if I wasn't having a good day, was busy, or if I was struggling with health.

A few years ago I went on this "dream trip" to Cambodia and Thailand.  Basically I just dreamt up at trip and what I was going to do on the trip (learn more about trafficking in these two Countries) and then I did it.  It was one of my favorite trips because I put action to a dream I had.  I had adventures.  I met people.  And through telling some of these people's stories, I loved people.  

I think sometimes loving people is a little like that.  I need time and space away to dream up these ways to love others.  And then it's my favorite thing to put this dream into action and find these ways to be in others lives.

Maybe talking like this makes it seem like I have this figured out.  I don't.  I haven't at all figured this all out. I have all these insecurities and these broken pieces from the past that make it hard for me to do this well.  I have questions about what is best and what loving well even looks like.  I have questions about boundaries.  I have questions about what being authentic means.  I think thats part of the journey.  

I'll probably make some mistakes.  Heck, I've made some mistakes.

The year 2020 is still here.  It's hard.  But I believe it can be still full of love.  And- that- I think is what makes life worth it - whether it's 2020 or any other year. When I think of this year, I'm grateful for that.   

I think thats the best way to look at 2020: the year I slowed down and thought about love.  And that changed me.

Look up friends, keep loving, and keep your head up.