Several years ago at the beginning of Advent, our pastor asked us to think of a word. As Advent is the beginning of the church year, this was like a New Year's Resolution of sorts. This word we chose, he asked us to pray about, meditate on and heartfully consider what our word would be for that year...maybe it was 2008 or 2009. I took that request very seriously. Words are very important to me and some have quite special meanings for me personally. So choosing the right word for my coming year was a task I wanted to ponder deeply.
All that next week, no matter what word I wanted to choose, and I came up with several that I thought were striking or challenging or powerful, no matter how I tried to choose a word, one word kept choosing me...grace.
I never spent much time considering grace. It was just a word. But that November it became my word and in the coming year I came to really know grace, experience grace and learn to live grace. So much so that I continued that the next year.
One year learning to receive it and the next year learning to give it.
Transformational.
It was time to choose a new word and my word was joy. Mostly I believe because I didn't have it and knew I wanted it, knew that as a believer I was commanded to be joyful in the Lord...and I wasn't.
This year my word came to me late. It was early January, rather than late November and I realized I did not have a word that called to me for 2012. Again, I tried to create one, to come up with something that felt right, felt like me in this year.
It came to me very quietly through a dozen conversations with several close friends. It's a word that never really captured my attention before, but now is everywhere. You know how that is...when something becomes valuable to you, you begin to see evidence of it everywhere.
I've heard people speak about at rally, share it in private conversations and a few weeks ago, it was the topic of one of my daily devotions.
harmony
We strive for balance, but that isn't possible. Balance is a state of non-motion. If something is balanced, there is no movement. Our lives swing like a pendulum, always too far in one direction causing us further stress and guilt because we are not "in balance."
harmony
Harmony isn't about everything being equalized, but everything working together with agreement or accord; a pleasing arrangement of parts.
I love the sound of that for my life...a pleasing arrangement of parts. No one else can tell me when my life is in harmony, only I will know and whatever that looks like is good....for me.
My word for 2012 is harmony. I love even the sound of it! The peaceful way it comes off the tongue without any harsh notes....harmony. My year will unfold peacefully without any harsh notes either. Regardless of what the external circumstances may be, my internal compass is turned to harmony and the peaceful pleasing arrangements of all the parts....relationships, faith, children, business, leisure, health...in agreement or accord with what I value and in a way that I am at peace in my spirit.
What is your word? I challenge you to ponder and pray over what is calling to you, what new flavor you might find in an ordinary word that will shape you and your world this year.
Take the week and pay attention. Wake up to your world and look deeply at your life and what is showing itself. The last several years have been transforming for me. My words have anchored me during difficult times and kept me grounded in the Word. Joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, humility and self control...maybe self control will be next year!
Right now, I am meditating on His peace and trusting in His provision without striving to control what I can't control. Where are you? Where do you want to be? Start moving in that direction...one word at a time.
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