Words

Every New Year, I choose a word for the year. Choosing words to meditate upon is helpful to me, in general, because it aids my focus for the intentional direction of my life.

That is a fancy way of saying, it is easy for me to forget who I am and where I am going and I need simple reminders.

A word brings me back. When I lose focus or get discouraged, just remembering a word is a little like latching on to a lifeline, I can gradually recall the goals, meaning, and value attached to the word and reorient myself around it.

A word gives me vision. When I am in a trial or facing doubt, just remembering a word puts a new lens on what is happening, I can filter my experience through what God may be asking me to see or feel deeper about this word in my life.

A word is an anchor. When I am pulled in competing directions, just remembering a word grounds me in truth, I can let go of what falls outside of this truth, I can start again from a place I know is true.

The words I choose for the New Year are usually around something that I want more of in my life.

2023: Obedience
2022: Arrow
2021: Uninhibited
2020: Discernment
2019: Peace

But these words usually never take shape in my life as I would expect.

I expected Peace to feel like possessing master Zen-like energy in all circumstances, but instead it looked a little more like making room in my inner life for disappointment and chaos while still maintaining my connection to God.

I expected Discernment to look like admirable wisdom and sure, unwavering decisions. Instead, it looked more like spending a lot of time in close proximity to God, letting him inform my perspective around my choices.

I expected Uninhibited to show me how to be bold, free, and live fully without ever second guessing my reactions. It looked more like learning to befriend my inhibition because it is trying to protect me, while also pointing it to the security we have in Jesus, so I don’t have to live locked up by it.

I expected Arrow to help me point other people to Jesus. Instead it looked more like bringing every area of my life under his Lordship, aligning every line of my life in his direction.

I expected Obedience to teach me how to respond to God’s prompting without hesitation, whether or not I could see where it was going or why. There is still a month left in the year but, so far, obedience has looked more like accepting what is and trusting God enough to remain still in that place.

Each year has brought answered prayers, new growth, and fresh perspective, but not at all in the ways I initially asked for it.

“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” Ephesians 3:20

This year, for the first time, I also chose a joint word with my best friend, Linda. We each had our own words but we also had a shared revelation about the surprising and mysterious ways that God works in our lives and so our joint word for 2023 was Unexpected.

Because in our diligence and planning and scheming, don’t we all often believe, even if only implicitly, that we have some idea about how our choices will work out? We may not always know which scenario will come to fruition, but at any given time, we are pretty certain of how each possibility might unfold. Rarely are we ever truly surprised about what each day, week, month, or year will hold.

But Linda and I have come to find this way of being really isn’t compatible with the God we serve.

But is that because God isn’t working in unexpected ways? Or is it because we keep trying to fill in the blanks for him?

Remember this is the God who…

creates the universe.
parts seas.
defeats giants.
conquers entire countries with a handful of men.
sends his only son into the world through a miracle conception.
wages war against all powers of evil and declares victory over the grave.
heals the multitudes of generations through his resurrected power.
continues to defy the odds no matter how grim and pessimistic we become.

To expect the unexpected from God holds space for his wonder working ways.

It humbles our need to be the one in control, put things in motion, and make things happen on our timeline.

It evicts the worries from our hearts that burden us and weigh us down.

It transmutes suffering and trial into temporary refinement of our understanding of his character, of his perfect plan for our lives.

We can see some things, but we cannot see all things, and we come to learn over time the One who can see all things is good. As we trust him, we learn to open ourselves to the goodness he wants for us, outside of what we can imagine for ourselves. That is our faith journey.

Between now and December 31, 2023, I invite you to choose a new word of your own for 2024, knowing that whatever you choose, was also chosen for you.

To bring you back when you need focus.

To give you vision when the road is dark.

To anchor you in times of distress.

In all the most beautiful, glorious, unexpected ways of God.

(And I would love to learn your words as you discover them.)