Acceptance, submission, adapting, and clarity
If I were to ask you, “What is one thing you learnt from the year 2020?” what would it be?
For me, the word acceptance comes to mind. Something the past year has shown us is that we don’t always have control over the things happening around us, but we can control how we react to them.
Trinidad and Tobago has a population of over 1.3 million people and has recorded over 60,000 Venezeulan migrants currently residing here. They are fleeing a dictatorial regime that has contributed to the downfall of their economy, causing a lack of basic resources for their people. I recently encountered a young woman who holds a degree in medicine from one of the best universities in Venezuela. Under normal circumstances, such a field should provide sufficient opportunities and a decent income but within Venezuela, the average monthly salary is approximately $50USD. Since gaining asylum status in Trinidad, she has not been able to make use of her five-year degree but now works as a live-in housekeeper for a Trinidadian family.
What may have been considered one of the most difficult years of our lives was only a glimpse into the daily struggle others face. Some people are experiencing unemployment, loss of loved ones, and the fear of an unknown future. If asked to reflect on your life exactly one year ago, could you have predicted what would happen? Probably not, but the God we serve knew exactly what was to come.
As believers in Jesus Christ, we are taught to submit to him in all circumstances, to rely not on our own understanding but on his (Proverbs 3:5-6). Submitting to God means knowing that God has the ultimate authority over what happens around us. We must therefore give our lives over to God’s authority and control. This is not always easy when we see the happenings of the world as it can make us question, “What is God’s plan in all of this?” So what can we do as followers of Christ?
When we are faced with such hopelessness, our only option is submission; to be still and know that God is there (Psalm 46:10) and that God has never left us nor will God forsake us no matter how bad a situation may seem.
For a long time we kept telling ourselves that things would get better once everything returned to normalcy during 2020, although “normalcy” never came. We needed to develop a mindset that no longer wished for what we had in the past but accept what was happening around us. We needed to develop a “new normal” and adapt to what the world was becoming. People have lost many things within the past year and while it may seem easier to continue dwelling about what one lost, the only way to move forward is to reach a point of acceptance that will help one adapt to one’s new situation.
After we have accepted what is going on around us and submitted to God’s will, then comes our request for clarity. Psalm 32:8 (NRSV): “I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.” We must ask God to guide our next steps in whatever direction it may be.
My prayer for everyone this year is for us to take everything we have learnt within the past year and apply it to what is to come. Our acceptance of God’s plan will lead us to better submit to God’s authority and adapt to each situation, not forgetting that we must always seek clarity from God regarding the direction God is leading us.
—Ms. Alicia N. Mathura
Youth Leader
The Presbyterian Church of Trinidad and Tobago
Youth Leader
The Presbyterian Church of Trinidad and Tobago