My One Word
January. It is usually a time to starting thinking about resolutions, right? At least that’s what I’ve done in that past (and usually failed at). Resolving to lose weight, exercise more, be a better mom, wife, person, read the bible more, learn how to . . . and so on and so forth.
Well, this year I wasn’t even sure I wanted to come up with a resolution but then I came across the One Word 365 movement and I decided to try a different approach for 2013. From their site:
Forget New Year’s Resolutions. Scrap that long list of goals you won’t remember three weeks from now anyway. Choose just one word.
One word that sums up who you want to be or how you want to live. One word that you can focus on every day, all year long.
It will take intentionality and commitment, but if you let it, your word will shape you and your year. It will guide your decisions and help you grow.
Discover the big impact one word can make.
One word.
365 days.
A changed life
And that I thought, ONE WORD, I could get behind this. But what should my one word be?
Well for me what I’ve been struggling with and hearing the Lord speak to my heart has been the word Rest.
Physically, my body needs rest especially due to my fibromyalgia which is such a pain to live with (literally) and I think I need to spend less time doing things and more time resting my body. So I’m thinking this year will involve more resting on couch, snuggling with my babes and taking an occasional nap, yay!
But mentally and spiritually I need rest as well. I have been carrying too many things that I was not intended to carry. I have been overloaded and have tried to do more than I feel called to do. My year of “Yes” left me a bit exhausted as I realized I had been overzealous to say yes to too many things.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28
I’ve been weary and burdened and I need His rest, badly. This year I will let some things go.
And will involve trust. In order to rest in the peace of Christ, I need to trust that He is more capable than I and I need to stop trying to control everything. Isn’t that always that challenge?
I say “yes of course I trust you Lord, but let me just help you out just a little bit. . .” or “yes, I trust that you can do this but really if I don’t volunteer and step up no one will.” And then I worry, I stress, I plan, I try to control things and people, I get anxious and I feel incapable of anything resembling rest, though my soul longs for it.
Yes, there are things I believe God is calling me to do this year and plan on being faithful to those tasks, but He’s not calling me to do everything, in fact I believe He will be calling other people to do them. Basically this year I will have to say “no” to some things.
Recently I read a quote in a book that talked about how even Jesus Himself didn’t heal every single leper He came in contact with, not that He couldn’t, He chose not to.
I have this print that I absolutely love by Jennifer Ferguson that reads, ” Faith and Prayer have a sister, Rest”. So true, right? A time for everything.
And I am reminded of the story of Mary and Martha:
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her. Luke 10:38-42
I have been Martha for too long, now I just want to be like Mary and just rest by His feet.
How about you sweet friends? Do you have a word this year?
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