Last year around this time I had been pretty busy visiting friends for the holidays. I had driven to Tennessee to spend Christmas with my friend. The drive was very picturesque. I loved looking at the beautiful hills and mountains as I was driving. The weather was great and I was looking forward to visiting Tennessee for the very first time.

I got to the hotel and checked in. After that, I went to visit my friend. We had a great time eating, laughing, opening presents, and conversing. It was great to meet her family. I stayed a couple of days and then headed back to Atlanta. I was able to get a day of rest and then I was off to Columbia, Maryland to visit another friend for the new year, 2020. I was excited about my next trip and looked forward to boarding the plane and being able to get a quick nap in during the short flight.

The trip to Maryland didn’t go as planned. My friend ended up catching the flu, her son had a cold, her mom caught the flu and I got sick as well. I was pretty disappointed but tried to make the best of it. I stayed a couple of days at her house in the basement. The last couple of days of my stay, I decided to stay at a hotel. Before checking into the hotel, I made sure that I had some cold and cough medicine and lots of fluids. It’s one thing to be sick when you are at home, but it’s quite another thing to be sick, out of town, and in a hotel.
The last day before I was scheduled to leave, I began to feel better. I guess sleeping all-day and taking medicine and drinking fluids worked. I began to get my strength and appetite back. I was glad to be able to get dressed and see a little bit of Maryland. The weather was beautiful for that time of the year. The sun was shining and it was in the low 50’s. I took an Uber to Columbia Mall and ate at a seafood restaurant in the mall. The food was delicious. I especially loved the crabcakes and hushpuppies. I was full and decided to skip dessert, which was a first for me.

I got back to the hotel and began to write in my journal, reflecting over the year. The nice, big, comfy king-size bed was the perfect place to read, meditate, pray, and write. I remember pulling out my phone and watching the online New Year’s Eve Night Watch Service. It was held at Elizabeth Baptist Church in Atlanta. The theme was, “Do Something New in 2020.” I was thinking that I am going to be “stronger” in the new year. That word just happened to be the word for the year that Pastor Mike of Transformation Church (Tulsa, Oklahoma) said to his congregation on Sunday, January 5, 2020.
The year 2020 was a very different year. It definitely had its challenges, but I did get stronger. I got stronger physically, mentally, emotionally, financially, relationally, and spiritually. I was able to withstand whatever came my way. I exercised my faith muscles. I got stronger in the LORD and He kept me. He is a God that sees and hears all and is moved by our faith.
Let’s take a look at these scriptures…
In Psalms 121:5 you will find the following words…The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand. The word shade in that scripture refers to protection from harm both day and night. A keeper is like a guard or a protector.
Isaiah 26:3 says… You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in you.

He kept me. He kept you. He continues to keep us. He is the keeper of our souls. He is a promise keeper. His Word does not return void; it accomplishes what it was set out to do. Thanks be unto God for keeping us!
How has God kept you? What promises has He kept?