One Word 2014

I have struggled with what one word to choose for 2014. It hasn’t come to me easily. Only one week into the year and the Lord is doing some serious sifting and removing the dead parts of my heart. Who seriously says, “Yay! I’m so happy you are cutting the dead parts off!” Or like Isaac getting ready to be sacrificed on the altar, I cannot help but ask, “Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” (Genesis 22:7). I know my Jesus was already offered, but in worship, I too lay myself down. If He intends to show me what is in my heart, I hope to find myself willing despite the pain of dying or of removing the hardness. He is a surgeon that will ultimately give me life in my deadness.

Last year, my word was “Intention,” and without my intentionally trying, that one word invaded my life, and I am truly thankful it did. The beginning of 2013 came at a time when I had busied myself too much, and it was ushering me into a season of uncertainty and wrestling that I had hoped I had finished. Apart from the wrestling, God was calling me back to simplicity and stillness. To in essence remember that greatness happens in the small. To refocus my priorities on the most important things.

I had forgotten that caring for myself and family are monumental things. Most days I say that if my kids turn out to be well-adjusted adults, it will be a miracle. I am joking, but serious too. It is not necessarily wrong to strive for greatness outside of home life, BUT what if the one thing I do accomplish with the Lord’s help is to produce great men and women who love the Lord, who change their generation. That is no small task.

So intention brought me to the cutting out of unnecessary things. It allowed me to rest. I wrote a post on “May”king Rest and Quality Time a Priority.” Since that post was written, I’ve made further changes to ensure time with my kids. I take the kids to school in the morning. Those 20 minutes in the car with the kids on most mornings are one of the highlights of my day, and that time has fundamentally changed my happiness level and my belief of whether I am capable as a mom or not. The kids listen to Christian radio, we have a devotional, and I pray over them. Because of intention. I am happier and more importantly, I see my kids are happier. Now I plan and hope to keep being intentional as I go about my life. I do the laundry most days. I now usually make my bed in the morning. Though I’ve done neither today. 🙂

The wrestling is starting to change a little because I am making peace with myself and who God has called me to be. Last year ushered in a lot of change – change that made me think my work was measly. I was knocked off my feet watching the greatness of another. That person did not know that their greatness made me bend low. Looking back I am so glad it did. I grew closer to Jesus, and as a result, I know I will be strengthened in the sifting that I am experiencing now. Too, the culture is shifting and values are changing, and I’d be remiss if I did not admit that some of the wrestling is with our changing climate, and in making sure my footing is on the sure foundation of Christ.

Overall, I feel like the pieces of my life puzzle are starting to come together and make sense. And so I wanted a word that expresses the place where fantasy meets reality, and the one word I came up with was “Imagineer.” There were other words I thought of, but this is the word for 2014, because it is the year I start to make dreams come true. True, no one may see anything tangible on this at the end of the year. But since Disney seems to have coined the term “imagineer,” it seems fitting to quote from Walt Disney, “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” This year I will start to pursue dreams. I am on my way to accomplishing one dream: that of wife and mother. Perhaps, with effort, I will pursue other dreams.

If you’ve read Emily Freeman’s book, “A Million Little Ways,” maybe you would agree that not only can dreams come true, but perhaps God has placed them in your heart for you to make them come true. Maybe the dreams are the art you are meant to do. Read the book and you will discover you are already making art in a million little ways.

So what are my dreams? More to come…

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