What a futuristic-sounding number—2020. It feels like something phenomenal should transpire this year. Like some great discovery should be unveiled such as the ten commandments on the actual stone tablets, a mind-blowing technology like a cream that totally erases wrinkles, yes please— or some unbelievable event, like Prince Charles actually becoming King.
How do you foresee 2020 unrolling for you and the world at large? Are you eager? Or biting your nails?
Here’s the top 10 wild predictions about 2020 that tickled my funny bone:
1. We will have one big toe on each foot, the useless outer toes will slowly disappear. (1911 Richard Clement Lucas -Royal College of Surgeons of England) That’s weirder than a two-toed sloth.
2. Apes will be employed as housekeepers, gardeners, and chauffeurs. (1994 RAND Corp) Might as well let them cook and babysit too.
3. Flying houses will be able to migrate south for the winter or move across town. (1966 Arthur C. Clarke) This sounds like the creators of the movie UP read this one.
4. Real cooking will be a lost art. Food will be delivered to homes as frozen bricks. (1950 Popular Mechanics) Now that sounds appetizing!
5. Rayon underwear will be converted to candy. (1950 Popular Mechanics) That’s just gross!
6. Each family will have a personal helicopter small enough to land in their yard. (1951 Popular Mechanics) Sign me up please!
7. C, X, Q will be deleted from the alphabet as unnecessary. (Ladies Home Journal 1900) Sorry to all the Queens of the world along with the Connies, and Xaviers who have to find a new name.
8. Women will be built like an Amazon—over 6 feet tall with size 11 shoes, broad-shouldered and muscled to the hilt. (1950 Smithsonian magazine) Think Serena Williams. And if we could all be super athletes too, maybe it would be a good thing…
9. Everyone will be vegetarians because of a shortage of meat. (1913, Gustav Bischoff) Did ole Gustav think the male carnivores of our species would ever let that happen?
10. We will work 26 hours a week. (1968 Herman Kahn and Anthony J. Weiner) I wish…
I used to think I’d love a peek at the future. Young and romantic, I pondered, who would I marry? What would my life be like? Until I scrutinized it…
Do we really want to know what’s ahead? Would it diminish the joy? Wouldn’t we be the happiest if we had no clue what was coming?—The weddings and anniversaries and births and awards and trips and…you get my drift.
Can you imagine your child coming home from college and gazing at you with a soppy grin as he told you he found the love of his life—and you saying—yeah I already knew. What a way to zonk his joy.
And would knowing what’s approaching make the trials easier to bear? Or would it dial-up our anxiety from the 4 it already is—and rocket us to a 10 like a thermometer dipped in hot water?
What if we knew a long term illness loomed or our death date? We might cherish the days more, but what a terrible burden to bear as the time zoomed closer to an expiration date etched in stone.
God gave us oodles of advice for our protection and to help us find joy. When we reflect on the crazy predictions from the past and think about the anxiety some of them may have caused, we realize we don’t need our nose under that tent–or to stress about whether we will have one toe or ten.
He said don’t worry about the future. For once let’s heed his wisdom and give ourselves a breather.
Don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matt 6:34
To banish worry in 2020—resolve to do these 5 things:
- To live in the present.
- To be content in the moment.
- To trust God.
- To take one day at a time.
- To focus on joy.
So as our minds inevitably wander to our future and what 2020 holds, let’s drag our focus back to the present and take comfort in the words of the Psalmist.
But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them sing joyful praises forever.
Spread your protection over them,
that all who love your name may be filled with joy.
Ps 5:11
With God as my refuge and protector, no crazy predictions or worries about my future can throw me off my slow walk of joy.
What do you worry about?
The five resolutions can be built into your daily walk over time. Which one will you start with and why?