Perspective Through Disappointment
by Caroline Morales
In my human perspective 2020 has been a year of disappointments. So many things that I look forward to each year in Impact’s Children’s Ministry, like Spring Break groups and Summer VBS, were cancelled or altered dramatically. None of us expected COVID-19 to be such a long-lasting pandemic (or at leastI didn’t!), and while these decisions were disappointing, safety will always be our first priority for the children at Impact. 
Nonetheless, we believe that our sovereign God is in control and trust in Him, even when things don’t go how we planned. I’m reminded of the Lord’s words in Isaiah 55, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts” and the many, many times the Bible tells us to not be afraid, but to put our trust in the Lord.
These are hard lessons to learn, and I pray that 2020 is a year we can all look back and remember that we put these commands into practice. One tangible way I have seen God working this year is that Lluvia (Impact’s other Children’s Minister) and I have grown closer to our children’s families than ever before. Many of the children in our ministry come to Impact in our vans and buses, and their parents do not attend on a regular basis. Often, we have limited contact with the parents. But this year as plans have been changed and revised more than a few times, we have been able to open the doors of communication like never before. We have prayed with a mom diagnosed with COVID-19, delivered books to families that had bored kids at home, provided food to families who lost jobs, and connected families to Arms of Hope Outreach Center. While we have been blessed at Impact to have had many of these resources available for years, the changes of 2020 improved our communication, which built strong relationships and allowed us to better serve our families, especially those in great need.
There is no doubt in my mind that God is working all the time. I’m thankful to serve a God that is bigger than I can comprehend and is always working for the good. I encourage you to open your eyes to the ways you have seen God working in your own life this year.
“And we know that for those who love God all things work
together for good, for those who are called according to
his purposes”
– Romans 8:28
