Goodbye 2020 - Hello 2021!

​The most important thing I did in 2020 was turn off the television and stop watching the news. If there was any information to be heard, it was because family and friends would contact me and tell me what they heard on the news that day. No offense to those who shared the information with me. I mean, what with all the fake news and propaganda, news reports seem irrelevant to me.

I was watching Supergirl on Netflix the other day. Kara Danvers (A.K.A. Supergirl) presented a story to the editor for review and publication. The editor refused to publish the story, explaining that Kara needed at least two credible sources to back the story. Kara (as Supergirl) was a party to the story about which Kara had written. Kara tried to convince the editor that Supergirl was credible enough and no other source was needed. But, the editor held fast to his decision, explaining that he would not publish a story that could not be verified, going on to say that readers are entitled to the truth and just because Supergirl said something happened, doesn’t mean it happened. He needed another source, and he needed evidence. I applaud him for looking out for the readers’ best interest.

We all know Supergirl on Netflix is a fictitious character, and the Netflix story is pure entertainment. That episode entertained me, but it also left me wishing it was true to life.

Honest Reporting?
In today’s world, some (I did not say all) reporters are not honestly reporting accurate information. I proved it to myself one day, which prompted me to stop watching and reading the so-called news. One day, I watched three different reports of a video recording of a single event. One news team edited the video to show extra scenes. A second news team edited the video to show the video with extracted scenes. And a third news team did not appear to edit the video at all. This prompted me to question which version of the video is correct.

I am just an average person. I do not have the expertise to discern what is real and what is not valid, and because of that, I just turned off all interest in receiving the news altogether.

No More News
It has not affected my life a single bit. I do not watch the news, and my life goes on as well as intended.

From what I hear from family and friends, the world is in chaos. Rioting, looting, burglaries, business shut-downs, deaths from COVID-19, death from murderers, death from suicides, and the madness is never-ending.

I hear some of what is happening in the world as family and friends call me and share what they feel is important to know. They share how reports affect them. They are sad and dismayed as they share and my advice to them is that they stop watching the news. Most of the reports are probably not real anyway.

Friends, sadly, I have developed a harsh heart with regards to news reporting. I believe most news reporters strategically design the news to create divisiveness among the people anyway. And, quite honestly, the plan is working very well. We have become a divided nation. What will become of us all in the future if something does not change?

No Soap Box
I am not going to stand up on a soapbox and tell people what to do. I believe people naturally know what to do. They don’t do it. I think everyone, whether they admit it or not, has a plan. Even I have a plan right now. What is my goal? My goal is to get people to stop relying on the news. My plan is to get people to go back into their hearts to determine what is real and not real. Throw everything away and rely on your gut feelings. I believe people inherently know (whether they admit it or not and whether they do something about it or look the other way) what is right and wrong.

Let Go and Let God
The best part about knowing what is right and wrong is that you don’t have to do anything about it. All you need to do is rely on the Lord to set things straight. Ask Him, and He will take care of things on our behalf. 

Here’s the thing, I am only a human being with human reasoning and human strength. The Lord is All-Powerful. He has a power that I can never imagine. Now, listen, I don’t mean to sound like I am sitting by idly and doing nothing; I will do my part to help. But, here’s the thing - I do not worry about whether or not I can make things right. I do not worry about things of the world because, when I think long and hard about it, I know the wrath of God is more powerful than the wrath of me. I believe if we ask Him as a collective nation, the Lord will hear us and act on our behalf.

It is a challenging world in which we live. Even the strongest people we know have mental breakdowns, and some are even committing suicide. I do have a heart for them. As easy-going as I am and as tough as I am, I feel the sting of evil as it vies to take over the world.

I do all that I can to make sure evil does not win my mind and heart. So, when things get tough for me, I rely on passages in my life guidebook (the bible) to carry me above and beyond the multitude of strife that plagues today’s environment. A few passages help me realize I am not in control of the world, and I am not the one who needs to worry about how things are in the world.
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Here are the verses I use to help get me through each day.

Psalm 34:17 – 17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.

14:13-14 – 13 Moses answered the people; “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
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1 Peter 5:7 – 5 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Got Strength?!!!
This past year has been a tough one. Nevertheless, we survived. And we shall continue to stay. So, goodbye, 2020. Hello, 2021! We are not afraid of what lies ahead. We’ve got the power of the Almighty behind us. So, 2021, bring it on!
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© Bertrand 2020