My One Word
On January 1, 2016 I wrote about figuring out what my one word for the year each year since 2012. I first learned of this idea from a church in B.C. called Relate Church. They suggested everyone to dig deep and listen for that one word that God puts on their hearts at the beginning of the year. That word, whatever it may be, would be something you would strive for throughout the year.
My one word for 2015 was Conqueror. I can tell you that it made me a bit nervous as I’m thinking ‘what will I have to conquer’ during that year. I thought ‘oh, is it going to be about a hard situation that occurs in my life that I’ll have to work through?’ I really had no clue what would happen for me in 2015, but I hoped I could be the conqueror God knew I would be.
As it turns out the things that I ended up conquering in my life this year were things that I had been holding onto for years. If you had told me at the beginning of 2015 that I’d not only be in recovery of my eating disorder, but that I’d smash and break my scale I wouldn’t have believed it. To me recovery seemed impossible, but finally when I made the decision to do so I remembered God’s whisper of ‘you are a conqueror’ and I knew I could say goodbye to my ED after 17 years with His help.
I wasn’t able to conquer all my past struggles and pains this year, but I really found that I have learned a lot about myself and that I am able to do more things than I could ever imagine. I put myself in situations where my social anxiety was tested. I decided to volunteer and help out my city at a sporting event where I had to give hundreds of people directions. Normally I would run away from work that included interacting with the public, but I decided to push myself and have fun with the people around me – and I did.
Even in this last part of the year I’ve learned about forgiveness, and it helped me to let go of my past struggles and pain. It reminded me that I’ve been a conqueror throughout this year even when I felt I may not have been.
For 2016 my one word is ‘Rejoice!’ It came about very recently near the end of this year. My husband and I had a deep conversation in our bedroom and after I felt I needed to stay in our room. While that happened I felt so many emotions come over me. I just let my tears go as I felt like I needed God in that moment. I was really crying out to Him. I’ve had it in the past where I reach out to Him and I felt like He wasn’t reaching back. This time He did and I let God know my concerns, worries and frustrations of past and present.
Next thing I know I hear Him say “I hear you” in a kind voice. That blew me away as for the past little while I felt like I was praying to Him and I didn’t know if He heard me. Those three words of “I hear you” made me feel like what I had to say was important to Him. Then I listened and waited to hear what my one word was for 2016 and I heard ‘Rejoice!’
Rejoice can mean something as simple as being happy. For me I don’t think that means my whole 2016 year will be without any struggle. It made me feel that this coming year I should want to try to rejoice in most situations that come in my life whether they are good or bad. I have often looked at things negatively, especially when something hard came up. I’m hoping as I strive to rejoice this year that I’ll be able to hold onto the positive instead of dwelling on the negative in my life. If you haven’t already done the one word challenge, I suggest you try it as it can change your life if you let it, as it did mine.
Patricia <3 J
Romans 12:12 Rejoice in hope, be
patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
Here’s a song about that there is no end to God’s
love and that You are with us, and that there is nothing in this world that can
take us away from Him. And before you
have asked Him to be there, He is already there <3. And that He reigns in our hearts, and we lift
Him up and praise Him for all that He’s done.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gdEo_KjZcI&list=PL3whQX319DaB37iB8NZpJe206iSdpe3kc&index=112
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