Today I am so excited to start off the first post of 2019 sharing my word for the year!
This is the sixth year that I have joined in on the "pick a word for the year train". Every year in the summer and fall as I start to pray about the upcoming year and ask the Lord for a word and for some scripture verses for the year I am always amazed at how the Lord leads.
Something I started doing a number of years ago is after I pick a word for the year, I then pick an "over arching verse" for the year that I work on memorizing, along with 12 other additional verses (1 for each month) that all deal with the theme from my word of the year.
I use the word for the year in other ways in my personal life, but incorporating scripture in this unique way has been a beautiful blessing and something I plan to continue throughout my life. As the coming year unfolds I am continuously amazed at how uniquely this word and these verses will come into play in encouraging me, reminding me of God's unique grace and love, and the way that I see His plan unfold in specific ways for a variety of different seasons and situations.
As a new year begins we never know what will be coming in front of us. We don't know the unique and difficult challenges we may face along with the beautiful highs and blessings that are yet to be seen. And yet as I think and pray about a word for the year I am constantly surprised at the way that I see God in His tender mercy reflects the promise and hope of the word that I have chosen throughout each day- especially as I purpose to look for it.
My words for the last five years have been:
Espoir 2018
Rachat (2017)
Anew (2016)
Mettle (2015)
Valor (2014)
Over the past few months as I have prayed about 2018, the Lord kept bringing to mind the themes of hope and expectancy without fear. This theme has been something that I have been challenged to examine in various ways as I continue to heal and step out of "sick world" and slowly step back into "regular life". But it doesn't just stop at my health. I have been challenged to really examine different ways that I view hope and expectancy in my life... especially in deep ways that are intensely personal.
Sometimes after a long battle with health or another traumatic experience... I think we can grow more timid than we ever believed we would especially in relation to hope and expectancy. I remember lying in bed years ago, unable to move and thinking that I would be the most fearless person alive if I ever started to heal. And I have started to heal... and am healing... but I find myself timid with lots of different areas. In the last few months I have been really challenging myself about this and praying about what this looks like specifically in my life.
Along with this, I have been really pausing to consider the power of "words". As an author I know the power that words can hold and I want to always speak life into situations... not death...and in doing so started to consider the words that are being spoken into my life. Back in August, I confronted this in new ways as it became abundantly clear that a friendship that I had... needed some clear and defined boundaries as this person was constantly speaking fear and the "worst case scenario" into my life- usually several times a day. Y'all know my heart and it wanted to be a support for this person, but I started to realize that the help that they needed went beyond the role of a friend and needed professional counseling... something that I am not equipped or trained to do.
I don't typically share something like that on the blog, but felt a nudge to do so today for a couple of reasons... first I hear from women all the time who are struggling with unhealthy friendships and my heart hurts for you. It is a tough road to navigate.
Second, I also share that very personal story to say...as I have walked the road of forgiveness in that situation it has really made me consider the words that we allow into our lives and the words that we speak into others as well. I want my words to reflect life, hope, and grace and encouragement ... and not fear or discouragement. So many times we are so careless with our words and this upcoming year I want to make sure I am reflecting hope and grace to each person I encounter. (As a side note- as I said above- if you are in a similar situation as I was above... my heart goes out to you. It can truly be a tricky road to walk and my prayers are with you for wisdom in the situation. I truly encourage you to seek wise counsel for yourself in that situation too.)
I look forward to walking this road with you this year and examining this more... as I consider present and future moments. In the last few months I truly felt the Lord impressing upon my heart these themes for this coming year. So as I continued to pray I felt the Lord bring these two words together into one perfect word:
Sine Timore
Sine Timore is a latin phrase that means:
"without fear"
Granted, it is not a word that is "common" or used everyday but the definitions sum up exactly what I pray for for this coming year - living in hope and expectancy without fear.
As I mentioned above I pick a key theme verse for the year and this year there were two that really stood out to me:
"Bold power and glorious majesty are wrapped around her as she laughs with JOY over the latter days."
-Proverbs 31:25-
"In the morning I lay my requests before you and watch expectantly."
-Psalm 3:5-
A lot of time as a young sick gal I find myself facing the truth that I struggle with this concept due to the season of illness. To be honest I have come to realize that after this season I often expect the worst instead of the best in big and small things. Instead of believing for joy and hope I often question, doubt, and wonder behind the scenes. I was hit with this fully when I was examining a situation in my personal life. One of my best friends recently said to me, "but Rebecca, what if the best case scenario happens"? and as the situation has played out it has been consistently a story of the best case scenario happening. I was humbled by this and as this new year approached I knew that I wanted to live fully expectant with hope in all areas of my life.
As I mentioned above I pick a key theme verse for the year and this year there were two that really stood out to me:
"Bold power and glorious majesty are wrapped around her as she laughs with JOY over the latter days."
-Proverbs 31:25-
"In the morning I lay my requests before you and watch expectantly."
-Psalm 3:5-
A lot of time as a young sick gal I find myself facing the truth that I struggle with this concept due to the season of illness. To be honest I have come to realize that after this season I often expect the worst instead of the best in big and small things. Instead of believing for joy and hope I often question, doubt, and wonder behind the scenes. I was hit with this fully when I was examining a situation in my personal life. One of my best friends recently said to me, "but Rebecca, what if the best case scenario happens"? and as the situation has played out it has been consistently a story of the best case scenario happening. I was humbled by this and as this new year approached I knew that I wanted to live fully expectant with hope in all areas of my life.
So that is my "word" for the year friends! Did y'all pick a "word" for this year? I would love to hear about it and what the significance is to you!!
"we will laugh more, love more... we just won't be so afraid..."
"we will laugh more, love more... we just won't be so afraid..."
"Everyday you preach to yourself a gospel of your loneliness, inability, and lack of resources or you faithfully preach to yourself the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ."
-Paul David Tripp-
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