The 2020 Survey Says...
I blame this post on Madi.
She just had to go and write that beautiful poem about all the shifts and changes and triumphs that she witnessed in the lives of the people at our church during an otherwise difficult and confusing year (and we all know I’m talking about you, Mr. 2020. Now go sit back down in the corner and finish eating your checkers, you loon).
Madi’s post and its aerial view of our spiritual and situational growth inspired me to chase down some of the firsthand accounts of what has happened in the last year. These accounts are otherwise known as testimonies.
A testimony can mean several things, but it can be boiled down to “a story about the truth.” When people “testify” about an event, whether before a courtroom or casually in regular conversation, they are sharing a story about the truth of something that they have personally seen and/or interacted with. Courtrooms and governing bodies throughout all time have known how powerful a simple testimony is, which is why it is legally held in high esteem to this day. The power of testimony even extends into the happenings of heaven (see Revelation 12:11).
The word “testimony” in Greek is the word martyria, which comes from the word martys (where we get our word martyr), which simply means “witness.” God doesn’t just comfort us and guide us and provide for us so we can keep it to ourselves. It must be shared: it is part of our calling and our great commission to simply be His “witnesses” and share the truth that we have “heard and seen… and touched...with our own hands” (1 John 1:1).
I hope these testimonies, which come from a four question survey sent out earlier in the year, inspire you and bless you as we keep walking forward, ever upheld by God’s grace.
Note: I wanted these survey answers to read as mostly anonymous because this is a public blog post, but due to how community oriented our church is, you’ll probably be able to figure out who wrote some of these awesome responses.
How have the events of 2020 helped you grow or change in a positive way?
“It was the year of redemption. I said no to toxic friendships. I decided I wanted to put old habits behind me and seek healthy relationships. That’s big for me and part of the reason, I’m learning, God brought me to Ohio. I realized having community wasn't something that was a nice option, but a necessity that deep down my soul craves Saying nothing is sometimes the most loving and powerful response. That. is. Chaannngeeee.”
“2020 helped me see the futility of seeking after worldly happiness. That has resulted in me understanding in a deeper way that the only joy to be had comes from the Father through Christ via a proper understanding of the Gospel that results in our salvation (Colossians 1: 5-6)”
“The events of 2020 has caused me to look outside of myself and consider others before myself. Things are so much bigger than just me and what I want/understand. I am so thankful for that perspective.”
“God, through this past year, has refined (and continues to refine) my perspective and subsequent actions/behavior of what it means to be united with the body of Christ despite varying perspectives.”
“It definitely made me more patient. I had to be alone and unproductive for a long period of time. People that know me know that I hate this, but God wanted me to grow.”
“The way our old church handled the events of 2020 caused us to leave and find the Village church. This spurred an abundance of spiritual growth for our whole family.”
“Grow in the godly disciplines and cut out noise. It also helped me see the importance of a local body of believers that I'm physically connected to.”
“I learned to be more intentional with reaching out to people. I also learned the importance of having a routine and developing good habits.”
“The Lord is continuously revealing to me how to relinquish the false sense of control I think I have in life. All to His Glory.”
“I’ve grown closer to God and had much time to intentionally heal as well as take better care of my health and family.”
What was your biggest struggle of 2020 and how has God addressed that in your life?
“I struggled with loneliness (a single woman) and began to self soothe in unhealthy ways like alcohol, food, and retreating into myself. By God's grace I pulled out of that and became intentional about reaching out to people and using my alone time in better ways. I also realized week after week I was paying less attention to zoom church and becoming spiritually dry. I forced myself to get over my discomfort and starting going back to in person church and community group and felt like I came back to life.”
“Health has been a constant battle. Undiagnosed issues met with doctors claiming nothing is wrong. I never saw this in the cards for my life. Yet, God had truly abounded in faithfulness and love. He alone has provided and sustained me daily through these frustrating times. He has also graciously provided the kindest support system of family and friends around me to help get me through.”
“Biggest struggle: Managing my response (thoughts/emotions) to the suffering and trauma I see at work. With books, counseling, scripture, and many tears, He is helping me to trust His heart and purposes more, despite my frail understanding and doubts.”
“A sense of belonging and direction. COVID and moving has forced me to really consider what I want to do with my life and step out of my comfort zone. Trying to answer those demands and step up is challenging for me and I still am so unsure.”
“Dealing with bitterness. God has allowed me to see a clearer picture of how the world is lost and crumbling to pieces without Him. As a result I have been given a greater sympathy for unbelievers and their desire to create heaven on earth.”
“Feeling isolated and trapped as a stay at home parent was devastating. God used it to show me that community is necessary, which caused me to commit to strengthening current relationships and creating more.”
“My biggest struggle was being busy and not having time to rest. God made ample time for that during the pandemic to work from home, rest at home, and find ways to relax.”
“I struggled with anger at people, society, politics. I’ve realized that focusing on those things don’t help me grow close to God. They don’t produce fruit.”
“Loneliness. Through this season, God has helped me experience His presence in a more real way with uninterrupted times in the Word and Prayer.”
“I was angry and even scared at the beginning of the year. Now God has revealed to me His own sovereignty and omniscience.”
Did you notice anything you would consider a miracle (whether big or small) this last year?
“I think it's a miracle the Lord allowed me and my roommates to collectively decide to move across the country together, agree on a home, and agree on a church. 4 different personalities and a unified decision? That's the grace of God.”
“I’ve known Christianity my whole life but the reality of God finally clicked in 2020. Due in part to a few very intense dreams which I truly believe came from God and was his way of revealing himself to me. I consider that a miracle!”
“(1) My family moved back to Memphis, with God's provision of unlikely housing and work, (2) the foster experience [of a family in our church] has led to a relationship with the entire family and their engagement in LEC, (3) E**n proposed:-)”
“A friend of mine stopped talking to me (yep, blessing). God revealed to me my desire to want to be a cherished friend outweighs my desire for hollow attention.”
“Many things. A change of heart toward someone who hurt me, presented with a new opportunity in my career, and that I’m still here and well during a pandemic.”
“The miracle of God's provision and closeness even when the world was crumbling all along. It was if His promises were actually kept…”
“Snow. It's so beautiful.”
“The Village Church.”
The world has recently become so annoying that you decide to take a vacation to Mars. Which book (other than the Bible) do you bring? What one food do you bring?
“Atlas Shrugged. Pizza. Literally any type of pizza. And who cares if it’s the cauliflower kind”
“Crispy Hashbrowns & my sketchbook”
“SACRED BOND- covenant theology explored. No doubt.”
“Man's Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl & cheeseburgers”
“Masculine Christianity. Chicken Shawarma.”
“The Chronicles of Narnia, peanut butter (!!)”
“LOTR series. :) Chicken wings/tenders, always. WITH FRANK'S HOT SAUCE”
“I’m bringing a book called Jazz and lots of pizza”
“Lord of the Rings. I’d bring buckets of Graeters Cookie Dough ice cream.”
And we now have qualitative evidence that if the Village Church ever goes on a retreat to Mars, we will likely all bring some variety of epic fiction book, a few volumes dealing with Christian living and a couple take-out trays of Parsons Avenue style comfort food.
None of the positivity of these survey answers, none of the real life victories, none of the grace under pressure that you read about here is being reported on the news, which is why it's our job to share it to a weary, fearful world. The inherent power of a testimony is that no one can take what we have personally seen of God’s goodness away from us. Our experiences, our stories about the truth, the way we have seen with our own eyes how God has helped us is a gift that we are meant to give away to others in the form of witness.
Instead of collectively cringing every time Covid or any other unfortunate trapping of 2020 is mentioned, what if we shared, like the people who responded to this survey, all the ways that our God has enriched us through these specific struggles?
What if we were simply witnesses?