So, do you have a word of the year? Please share what it is, and I always like to hear how you settled on it, specifically.
What’s Your Word of the Year?
Even if you don’t have a world of the year, you’ve more than likely familiar with the idea. No sooner do we watch the ball drop in the NYC skyline trading what we knew for 365- the good, bad and ugly- to something new and filled with excitement. The buzz begins, “What’s your world for the new year?”
All the inspirational and encouraging words flood conversations, and now social media. Friends and strangers alike announce their own word with great anticipation of a year filled with joy and love. Words of the like, Joy & Love began the list and continue with no shortage of much the same.
Joy, Hope, Encourage
Before I finish that thought, I wonder what I would see to check in regarding this on IG right now? Let’s see. Hang on right here…Yep, they’re everywhere. Word of the year! Joy, New, Hope, Breathe, Inspire, Create, Wonder, Courage…go take a look yourself.
I’ll be honest, the rebellious nature in me kicked and screamed the idea for a long while, but not too many years ago the Lord directed my heart to our word for that year, and as I daily sought Him through Scripture around it, He was faithful to show me how this word and all it held, from His Word, so graciously and sweetly applied to me.
My First Word of the Year
But, true to my life, this word didn’t feel ‘good’ to those who heard it. Probably close to no-one wanted to follow along my journey as the Lord carried me through the next twelve months with this grand word of the year He’d given me.
Weakness
Do you want to know what that word was? Weakness. My word was, Weakness! I’m not even sure I wrote about it much, yet I am sure it didn’t grow a line of readers and listeners wanting to hear more; that didn’t nullify the rich truths and spiritual growth I experienced walking through the year with the Lord around “weakness.” Less of me, more of Him. When I am weak, He is strong.
That’s what Hard Truths Do
You know what? That’s what hard truths do, they tend to fork the path to the narrow gate and the wide gate of Matthew speaks about.
How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.
Matthew 7:14
Since then, that year where the Lord grew me from my weakness, there have been times where January 1st comes along, and by prayer, waiting and wondering, He gives me an unmistakable prompt to a word of the year-or sort of theme for study, reflection, change and growth .
When God is Quiet, I need to be Quiet too
Other times, He’s quiet and I need to be quiet too, asking Him through prayer if there’s something, somewhere, He wants to show me and take me by a choice of a word for the year.
What I can tell you is, weakness is much like me. I tend to thrive in study, in quiet, in challenge between me and the Lord, in deep thought, in hard truths…and though I can’t say I “thrive” to share these things, I sort of do by way of knowing if the Lord gives it to me to share, I am being obedient to Him. Not that I love the silence that follows a post, or a podcast when a hard truth is hard to hear (for me too!), but because I know I’ve honored Him; even if only my audience of One, THE One.
The calendar has once again flipped and we’re just beginning to countdown our newest 365 days, and the Lord has shown me a new word. I thought I wasn’t going to have my heart settle on anything specific, but clearly it has.
This Year’s Excitement
I’ll interrupt my thoughts here to share something very exciting. Lord willing, we will be holding our first grandchild in our arms in a few months. My daughter-in-love is absolutely gorgeous, and she lives and loves life in a grand way. There is no mistaking her presence, because person and her smile are electric and light up the room. Recently, I told my very pragmatic and dear friend I believed the baby’s name was Sparkle…because, how could it not be with her momma? (We are so excited!)
I share that to tell you, my word of the year seems much more fitting for my DIL than for me, nevertheless, it’s what the Lord has given me.
This Little Light of Mine
Many years ago I recall a little blonde, curly -headed girl sitting in church sining the old childhood song, This Little Light of Mine. Remember it? I think my favorite part was blowing it out! (Do you see the problem here?)
This Little Light of Mine
This little light of mine
I’m going to let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine…
Hide it under a bushel? No!
I’m going to let it shine…Don’t let Satan [blow] it out!
I’m going to let it shine…
I don’t know who wrote it, but I do know where it was first written:
No man, when he hath lighted a lamp, putteth it in a cellar, neither under the bushel, but on the stand, that they which enter in may see the light.
Luke 11:33 ASV
Shine.
This year, my word of the year is SHINE. I don’t really know why, but I’m trusting the Lord with it and through it. As He allows, I will aim to be faithful to share with you what I learn about me, about Him.
For we are not proclaiming ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’s sake. For God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ.
2 Cor. 4:5-6
Shine with me? Let’s see what the Lord will do this year in our lives.
