My heart celebrates newness.
New birth.
New beginnings.
New weeks.
New days.
And, yes, even new years.
As 2010 came near to an end, I watched as many of the blogs I read began to assign a word to the new year.
A word of focus for them.
What a great concept!
Over the weekend I found myself racking my brain, seeking, and searching for the perfect word.
My word of focus.
There were several that appealed to me.
I thought I found just the one.
I began to pray.
And peace didn’t come.
I felt the spirit’s questioning.
Was I doing this…this word searching…for Him?
Or was this just another effort to “fit in”?
I had to be honest.
I had to do some soul searching.
I had to do more praying.
More seeking.
More searching.
In the end, I discovered that just because someone out there has a great idea doesn’t mean that I have to follow it.
Doesn’t mean that the Lord is leading me to do the same thing He is leading another one to do.
So, no, I don’t have a single word of focus for this new year, for 2011.
I am leaving myself open to the Lord’s leading for each day. I am opening my spirit for Him to work.
To do His amazing, spirit-changing work.
And, boy, is my spirit ever in need of changing!
I’m looking forward to the new year.
with excitement
with nervousness
with tepidness
with expectancy
with hesitancy
with trust
but without limitations
I don’t know what this new year will hold for me…for my family.
I don’t even know if I’m ready for it.
In fact, I’m quite sure that without His guidance, I’m definitely NOT ready for it.
But that is the one thing that I do have.
That I will always have.
His guidance.
His leading.
His hand-holding.
His love.
His mercies.
His grace.
His forgiveness.
It is only through grasping each of those and more {more of Him} that my heart will be ready to celebrate the newness of this new year.
Kela says
I like, “I am leaving myself open to the Lord’s leading for each day. I am opening my spirit for Him to work.”
So true. I see the trend and am glad for those that find a specific direction. I thought a couple of times that I had a word of the year, but the more that I think about it, growth is a progressive thing and God has put MANY “words” on my heart this past year.
What I went through (growing better) doesn’t consist of just one word.
Maggie Mae says
Amen, Monica! I hadn’t picked a word (though I had heard the concept circulating in the blogosphere). Like you, I’m leaving myself open (maybe that’s your word!) Still, if I had to choose one all-encompassing word it would be… Believe! It says so much about so much!
Kim says
I must be very out of the loop, because I haven’t heard blogs picking a word to define the new year for them. 😛 But I have completely changed my perspective of blogging in the past 6 months.
I am so proud of you for keeping your blog about your concept. Your blog name, the verse you chose, everything you write is true to your conviction. That is fantastic. You inspire and motivate me to search and seek more of Jesus in my life. Thank you and I look forward to this next year.