The Decade That Was

Another year has come and gone; what a year it was. But for me, not just another year, but another decade it was (plus 2 1/2 years) from mid-2007 to 2020.

Following are major events (in my life) of that past decade:

2007:

            Mid-September I had to move from a previous residence, on 5310 Two Notch Road, Forest Acres area of Columbia, South Carolina, due to the property being sold and the mobile home in which I was then living could not be moved. I then lived in what was Crossroads apartments on Zimalcrest Drive, Columbia, South Carolina. (There, made aware of it by a Narnia fan, down a path outside my front door was “a lamppost in the middle of the wood.”)

            My previous car, which was given to me, “gave up the ghost.” I had a chance then to learn of the city bus system.

2008:

            I became unemployed on 07/11/2008.

            Eventually, I was given another car. (The person who gave it to me was going overseas in Christian mission work, so I paid something for the car for her support.)

2011:

Custodial employment with Columbia International University (C.I.U.) mid-May 2011 thru August 2014—not desiring custodial work, but needing a job I thought I would give it a try, at least then I had a job for a time.

I had another custodial job for a time at Baptist Parkridge hospital in Columbia. I enjoyed working for a hospital, but again not so much custodial work

May 2014 thru June 2018:

            Lived in C.I.U.’s Pine View apartments

2016 Presidential election:

            God brought President Trump into the White House for “such a time as this,” I’m sure of it, surprising us all particularly winning over those Democrats and the fake news media

2016 thru 2020:

            Impeachment proceedings of President Trump took center stage, but to no avail, however, it was simply a conspiracy act and a waste of taxpayer dollars.

July 2018 thru March 2019:

            Lived eight months in Ohio. (Perhaps a benefit: I realized greater the two worlds.)

2020:

            Covid pandemic

            General election. An overwhelmingly red wave, although the Democrats trying to steal it.

 

And so what is the impact of it all on my life:

I think how I would like to tear out of my life story that past decade. But of course, I can not. History is God’s story, and as is all of humanity, we’re characters in His story; guided along by the Good Shephard or going our way as a prodigal—doing our own thing, living the “I did my way,” the “Que sera, sera” misguided philosophy.

As it seems,  how difficult it is for me to live these days as I had done before 2007. Before then, doing things simply for fun and pleasure was a favorite thing to do—a favorite pastime. Now, it’s all not so much fun anymore. (Watching TV doesn’t even hold much of my interest, nor sports, nor movies. Neither giving much attention to the fast becoming unreliable news reporting.)

I have come to realize to a greater extent the end times. My going about these days, my mind now being more set on the immortal eternal reality, noticing the temporal works of humankind—those “towers of Babel” (Genesis 11:1-9 cf. 1 John 2:16)—I realize as the apostle Peter has written that it’s all going to burn (see 2 Peter 3:1-7; 1 John 2:16-17).

Hence, I can’t live these days as if everything in the world is a-okay, hunkey-dorey, or “it’s all just fine.” Not so, these times had not been “the best of times,” and continues not to be so.

Even though people say, “Relax, enjoy life, we’ll all get over it,” uh, I can’t see that.  As mentioned, I can’t live now for the pleasures of this temporal time. I’ve realized the end of this time is coming—it’s nearer than ever before. I’m eager and looking forward to the upper taker, whenever that will be as the Lord so wills (see 2 Thessalonians 2:1-10). Strange as it may sound, I’ve been sensing that throughout that decade that was. Maybe the result of the 2020 election is evidence of that sensing.

For me, the coming of my unemployment and then forward from the year 2016 has been moreso than ever the "defining moment" of my life. I have come to realize the greater pleasure for my mortal existence is Jesus—my joy, provider, purpose, and meaning for life (Matthew 6:25-34). My rock, fortress, and deliverer (Psalm 18:2)

 

Conclusion: as in my previous writings, so here too, the prayer of my heart these days seems to be, as the apostle John expressed it recorded at Revelation 22:20, “Come, Lord Jesus.” Until then, my continued prayer and fight for my native mortal homeland continues to be: Restore us, heavenly Father, to our founding upon biblical principles and conservative values, that we for a time may be a light-bearer and salt-spreader to the world of Your grace, peace, and love, as You would have us to be until that day of Your return, Lord Jesus (Adonai Yeshua). Awaken Your Church, heavenly Father, throughout America that we would have a greater impact on the governing affairs of our land—“from sea to shining sea”—as so did our founding fathers, that we would know our being as “one nation under God.”  In Your precious name, Lord Jesus, I pray. Amen.