For many, 2020 is the year that was. For me, it was a year of blessings, so many that I cannot help but publicly praise God for all that He did.
2020 marked my 29th year in the travel industry. My job has been very stressful for many years, and toward the middle of 2019, I was praying God would provide a way of escape for me. In November of 2019, I was promoted to be in charge of training for all of North America for Key Travel. I thought that was how God was answering my prayers for a way of escape, but little did I know what God had planned on the horizon. How little did we all know what 2020 would hold.
COVID devastated the travel industry, perhaps like no other industry. April 10th was my last day with Key Travel, and God allowed me to exit with maximum severance offered. Two weeks later, nearly all the rest of the operations staff in the US was let go, with virtually no severance. While I certainly never expected to leave my position at Key Travel without having another one lined up, God had other plans.
I’m here to testify that when things don’t go the way we plan or expect, we need to remember that God’s plans are always so much better than ours. Always.
After being rejected for a job at AAA, with the rejection letter saying I wasn’t qualified (even though the job was doing the exact same as my first management job with AAA), I realized it was because I had never finished my Bachelors degree. Had the COVID domino not fallen over on the travel industry, I never would have been motivated to complete my degree. Yet, in just over 4 months, by God’s grace, I completed 29 credit hours and received my Bachelors of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies (focus areas of Education and Business) from Liberty University – exactly 30 years after I withdrew after my junior year.
And of course, commencement was cancelled at Liberty University due to COVID, but that didn't stop us from celebrating. I planned a full commencement ceremony, including all the fanfare, with Dr. Frank Banfill bringing the commencement address. It truly was one of the happiest days of my life. Only God could bring such joy because of the COVID domino.
My final capstone class for my degree also birthed an idea for a future business. The details of that idea are still "percolating" -- stay tuned. But again, had the COVID domino not hit, we would never even be discussing it as an option.
In July, Frank decided we needed to get away. I fought it. Big time. I was buried in my final Capstone class, and it was extremely time-demanding. Besides, who travels on an international vacation right in the middle of a pandemic? Well, the Banfills did, and it was amazing. Jamaica had very few cases, and Frank felt strongly that we should plan to go -- in faith -- knowing the booking allowed us to re-schedule without penalty. We have no regrets; it was truly one of the best trips of our life!
God provided a “deserted beach vacation” in the middle of a global pandemic. It was a much-needed blessing, and I believe we were safer on that deserted beach than if we stayed at home! Our entire plane had to produce negative COVID tests, and once we arrived, the Jamaican government made us all re-take the COVID tests. Who would have thought that the COVID domino could bring such joy, but it did…in abundance!
To say the beach was deserted is an understatement.
The COVID domino also hit KiDs Beach Club, where Frank is the VP of Strategy and Growth. Last year, they had over 300 schools across the nation who partnered with them, holding Beach Clubs in public schools. In 2020, that number dropped to about 7, thanks to COVID. KBC didn’t let COVID stop them from pursuing what God called them to do, and when kids could no longer come to Beach Club at their local school, KBC made the decision to bring Beach Club to them – in their homes. Thus, the “Beach Club at Home” concept was birthed: create 30-minute professionally produced “Beach Club at Home” tv-quality episodes that mirror the elements found in the live Beach Clubs. It was all happening very fast, with no money budgeted to make it happen. But God knew that the COVID domino was going to hit, and He miraculously prepared the generous hearts of donors to give BIG. The first 6 episodes of “Beach Club at Home” were launched, providing a way for kids to interact and experience what was no longer possible within their local schools.
However, the original production company decided to topple their own domino; for KBC, it initially looked devastating. The production company said they could no longer write and produce the remaining 15 needed episodes and basically said what KiDs Beach Club was asking was impossible. Looking back, I’m reminded of Matthew 19:26 for sure!
Frank spearheaded the “Beach Club at Home” project, and I will never forget the look on his face as he told me what the original production company said. In case you don't know him, you should know that Frank is a leader that is not easily discouraged. Yet that afternoon, he really was distressed, trying to understand how God wanted KBC to move forward after hitting such a concrete wall. Trying to brainstorm with him, I told him I could write the remaining 15 episodes. I really threw that out there only to try to show him there were options. It was a grasp at straws of desperation. In nearly 30 years of marriage, I so rarely have seen him even close to discouraged, and I had to do something!
I’ll be honest. I really didn’t think that domino would fall in the direction I suggested. I kind of "thought" I could write the episodes, but the doubt-meter definitely swayed more on the “NO” side of the pendulum. And it was definitely a lot harder than I thought! But, KBC needed a writer, and nothing else was materializing.
We decided for me to write my first screenplay and submit it to the KiDs Beach Club president anonymously. This would avoid embarrassment for me, had he not liked what I created, and it would avoid apparent conflict of interest for Frank. That’s when the original production company’s domino intersected with mine. Jack Terrell, the KBC founder and president LOVED what I had created. He didn’t know I had it in me, and to be honest, I didn’t either. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that God would provide for KiDs Beach Club while simultaneously providing for our financial needs in 2020 by having me write and sell 15 original screenplays! God worked out all the rest of the details for a new production company, CRM Studios. Most of the filming for all the episodes is now complete and in post-production. Only God could orchestrate what has taken place! He crumbled the financial mountains for KiDs Beach Club to make this happen, and somehow, all my crazy ideas for the scripts came to life.
KiDs Beach Club at Home
(Episodes 1-6 were done by the original production company, and I wrote the remaining episodes. More will be added in February)
The COVID domino also tumbled over our health, with both Frank and I contracting COVID. His case was much worse than mine, developing double pneumonia, a blood clot in his lung, and spending 5 days in the hospital. My doctor said he is lucky to be alive, but we know luck has nothing to do with it. The fact that he is alive is 100% God. Perhaps even more miraculous, He spared my 80-year old mother (who lives with us), keeping her from catching it.
In 2020, I learned it's ok to not be ok. (Taken from my favorite song of the year: by Matthew West, Truth Be Told)
In 2020, I learned that it’s ok to not be constantly busy.
In 2020, I realized that I had let WORK snatch me from the things that really mattered. Losing my job was an incredible blessing.
In 2020, I saw God provide for our family in miraculous ways.
In 2020, I re-discovered my love for creativity that had been stolen by my stress-filled job (whether through writing or creating "masterpieces" like the tree picture below (term used loosely) or the table trivets I started making as gifts. And who knows, maybe I'll start really blogging again.
And on the last day of 2020, I read the words that for 13 years running, I still do not take for granted: “Cancer markers undetectable.”
Yes, 2020 was good to me. I'm actually kind of sad to see it go, because I don't know how 2021 could top it! Sure, like many others, I could dwell on the negative domino effect and bring in the new year thanking God it’s over. But the TRUTH BE TOLD, I’m a much happier version of “me” going into 2021 than I was going into 2020.
I praise God for every good and perfect gift, including COVID and 2020.
-- Beth Banfill
[email protected]