🎆 Lil Treasures #57: 2020 in that rearview mirror my darlings.

SO GLAD WE MADE IT LOOK HOW FAR WE'VE COME MY BABY

Cue the Rocky theme song because we freaking did it. ENOUGH HATH BEEN SAID about 2020 and its many, many flaws. But today, the first day of 2021 in this here calendar we adhere to, we get a fresh start for whatever we want, and I am excited.

How’s about we start things off with a lil Q+A?

Q: “How hopeful are you feeling about 2021?” — @christymb

A: Unfortunately, like the big, wide-eyed dummy that I am, I can’t help but revel in hope. Even when it comes in disguised as a calendar flip or a January reset, I still think I know, somewhere in the ashes of the dumpster fire that was last year (OH MY GOSH IT FEELS AMAZING TO SAY LAST YEAR I FEEL POWERFUL), that I can’t give up on it all. Do I think all our problems will magically go away in 2021 (nope)? Of course there’s nothing magical about the year (time is a construct if 2020 taught us anything it’s that time is straight up, made up), but I can cling to the magic of hope (with my teeth if I have to and I will probably have to). My personal brand is coming in the form of pure, unadulterated Jesus (as Rachael Kickaid says: “the Jesus from the Bible, not American culture” WHICH AMEN TO THAT) because I am done trying to manufacture hope out of presidential elections and earthlings and banana bread and vaccines and my kids and myself (although those are a strong supporting cast, but alas, not our starring role). And what I’ve learned this year is that in the moments when I cannot hope, when I’m tired or annoyed or despairing or ready to set everything on fire, other people around me will hope for me. So if you’re not in the place to hope right now, I get it. Please know that there are people all over the world praying for those who lack hope right now, whether that’s due to sickness or job loss or despair or pain or loneliness. And if you fall into one of those categories, that counts towards you. I’m praying that you receive an infusion of gritty hope in an unexpected place, and even if you can’t hope right now, I’ll do it for you, because I know at some point last year (again, that feels amazing), you did it for me. Thank you.

Q: “Do you completely align theologically with the Anglican church?” — @susannahgrace02

A: I don’t, and I honestly don’t know a ton of people whose beliefs line up exactly with their denomination. I think this is because a denomination is an organization, and I’m a person. I don’t even theologically align with my husband on everything. To be honest, I don’t even theologically align with myself sometimes. I felt a lot of tension about this for a while, but Jeff Chu wrote a great op-ed for the New York Times that really landed with me in a lot of ways, and gave me some handles for managing my thoughts. I know some people feel really strongly about the idea that, to quote my beloved Hamilton, “if there’s a fire you’re trying to douse, you can’t put it out from inside the house”, but I feel strongly that this is where the Lord has us right now. I take that really seriously, because at the end of the day, not only are we talking about my spiritual formation but the spiritual formation of my kids. I talk about this on the Bible Binge often, but none of what I quibble within my denom is creed-level. We can debate about the flood narrative and dietary laws, but if it’s not creed-level, it’s really more of a healthy exchange as opposed to worth getting mad about (for me).

Q: “How do you make friends? 2020 left me lonely.”

A: Loneliness is the worst because it tricks you into believing you’re all alone in everything, but particularly in feeling alone. Everyone seems happily friended, but the best friends I know make a bigger table, not a higher wall. I do believe it was the wise Shannan Martin who said, “Go first.” This is truly the best advice I can give you, because everyone is lonely and they want companionship, but at the same time, everyone is terrified of rejection. But if you can let rejection fall off your shoulders as more of an insight into the fear of others as opposed to what they are saying about you (spoiler: it is so very rarely about you, people are unimaginably broken sometimes), you will make friends. I know it’s hard to meet people right now, so social media and long-established relationships might have to suffice until we can inject that Moderna vaccine into our bloodstreams. Do you know what has thrilled my absolute soul? Seeing friendships blossom out of the comments here. Leave a comment and see what happens. Sometimes it’s as scary as just saying: “hey I’m lonely and I’d love a pen pal.” There are lots of really cool virtual book clubs right now (my favorite is obviously the Faith Adjacent Book Club over on The Bible Binge Patreon), which might be a good starting point too. Take a jump off the diving board and see whose hand you might catch on the way down.

Q: “Tips for finding your voice on IG?” — @adrienneschenck

A: When Buechner talked about purpose, he pointed out that we can find what we were meant to do or be in this life at the intersection where our deep gladness meets the world’s great need. That might be a bit lofty for Instagram, but I do think it can apply there. What do you love? What are you passionate about? Go in that direction. Write/post/live from the heart. All of this is either cheesy or true or both, but your voice on IG should be your voice. I think I said this in the Instagram Q&A earlier this week, but 100 people who love your voice and what you stand for and want to engage with you are truly worth a million casual followers. Keep moving in the direction of your purpose (whatever that may be) and your voice will rise to the top like that good cream.

I shared this video yesterday, but I really can’t get enough of it.

Dana had this in her stories and since she’s private I couldn’t give her the credit she deserved but I cannot stop laughing.

I would watch six seasons of this.

Obviously we have another R. Eric Thomas masterpiece here.

Let’s do that good good Twitter:

SparkNotes @SparkNotes

The murder hornets subplot of 2020 was kind of like how in Macbeth there's just some casual horse cannibalism that's mentioned once in passing and then never again

Beth Moore @BethMooreLPM

Y’all. I wasn’t. https://t.co/a9ToNDGjjZ

Beth Moore @BethMooreLPM

I’m going to try to be less annoying in 2020.

felisa navidad @lisatomic5

men will literally learn everything about ancient Rome instead of going to therapy

hannah anderson @sometimesalight

I once had a therapist explain to me that some people procrastinate b/c it gives them a kind of high as their brain function sharpens under the anxiety of looming deadline.

Zachary D Long @invadingduck

I found them. The Frosted Mega Wheats.

Tiffany Dorrin Olsen @TiffanyDOlsen

Every single perfume commercial was written by an enneagram 4.

despair man @probablyalissa

bill nye is short for william new year’s eve

I missed you last week and hope you had the best holiday available to you (h/t Pantsuit Politics). Cannot wait to hear about the treasures you’ve found these past couple of weeks! Here’s to better days ahead!