I need to start prefacing conversations with "Anything you say during the course of our conversation may end up in my blog." Tonight, er last night...yes - this recently...Pastor, his wife, and I were talking about a complex topic. When asked, "How do you see it?" I used the words that came to my head--academic words I learned in the course of my studies. These words made sense to me, but my audience asked me to break it down a little more. We kept talking about how we use words and speak to other people. The conversation was enlightening for me, and in the end, we agreed that THE word is the way to find meaning.
(If you aren't sure what I mean by "the word," I mean The Bible. Those are the words the Lord sent and Jesus spoke. Keep reading. . . )
Lately, I've been struggling to find my word for the year. Here are a few I have chosen in the past:
Path: I was asking God to show me the path that would fulfill his purpose. Where did God want me to go?
Acuity: While working on my doctoral studies (I still am), I chose the word acuity as a way to sharpen my mental perceptions.
Forgiveness: Another year, I needed to for give and be forgiven. Only, I was holding on to some stuff I needed to let go. Choosing "forgiveness" has been incredibly freeing. I highly recommend it.
Focus: Last year, I selected focus because I was struggling to stay on task. I needed to get back on track with my dissertation, and I took steps to do that.
Each of these words are purposeful, but I am struggling to select just one this year. Here are some that I have considered:
Perseverance
Determination
Persistence
Patience
Grace
Diplomacy
Yet, each of these doesn't quite reach my heart the way words have in the past.
As I prayed over my word, Habakkuk 2:2 (CEV) revealed itself to me:
1While standing guard on the watchtower, I waited for the Lord's answer, before explaining the reason for my complaint. 2Then the Lord told me: “I will give you my message in the form of a vision. Write it clearly enough to be read at a glance. 3 At the time I have decided, my words will come true. You can trust what I say about the future. It may take a long time, but keep on waiting— it will happen!
I haven't spent much time reading Habakkuk, but this chapter gave me a bit of a pause. I read several versions before I could come to a general understanding of the meaning, and I would still like to dig in a little deeper. What God seems to be saying here is that when I ask God "What should my word be this year?" I should be patient and wait for God to tell me what His will is. God will answer my prayer in His time, and His time will be perfect for His purpose.
So, I still don't have a word, but I have the word; perhaps that is what is most important.
Friends, The Bible says the greatest commandment is to LOVE the Lord our God with all our hearts, our minds, and our souls. The second greatest command is to love others. Get into the word of God. Get into His vision. God wants to write his words on my heart and yours. Like Habakkuk says, God will follow through on his word at just the right time.
Happy new year!
Best,
Michelle
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