My Word of The Year 2016

Wow.  It’s here!  A new year, a (somewhat) blank calendar, and time to talk about my focus for the year ahead.  Last year’s word choice was truly epic for me… who knew that choosing JOY would have such a profound impact?  Well, the good Lord knew… He knew every heartache, every betrayal, every moment of despair I would experience and laid a word on my heart to do battle with all of them — JOY.  And I was able to find it, even in my darkest days and sleepless nights.

My process for choosing my word each year is simple … I stay tuned.  Because without fail, a single word reveals itself when I slow down, tune in.  It will turn up in readings, conversations, art, prayers, dreams — and in unexpected places.  After a bit I have that “AHA!” moment and then I will spend some time pondering that word.  Is it something I’m lacking? An area in which I need to grow?  A place to focus my heart and mind in the days to come?  Usually, it’s all of the above.  He knows.

These past weeks of illness and recovery brought my word for 2016 front and center.

TRUST.

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Last year, the Lord called me to a major faith walk… one filled with uncertainty, uncharted territory, and Satan seeking a foothold at every turn.  But in the midst of that I found that when I truly and fully gave everything over to Him — and trusted Him — my path was made straight.

And I realized how HARD it is to trust Him!  Even when you know He’s been faithful, even when you’ve seen first hand how He works in your life and the lives of others — it’s still hard.   And something I have to remind myself to do over and over again.  I struggle with some underlying fears… fear of failure, letting others down, financial distress, not being “enough” as a wife and mother to name a few.  Those fears don’t cripple me, but they steal my joy, raise questions in my mind, and occupy my brain way too frequently.   This is where I need to TRUST in Him.  He has never left nor forsaken me!

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I could have chosen fear-LESS, or worry-LESS, as my word, but I need an action word instead… something on which I can actively focus my heart and my mind… TRUST.

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This is where I will be directing my thoughts and prayers as I embark on another year of uncertainty, change, new ventures.  Watch for my hashtag on Instagram — #trustinHim — as I work on this DAILY.  And don’t worry, I’ll continue to use my hashtag #choosejoy, because I learned the value of choosing joy each and every day last year!  My prayer is that as I grow my trust in Him my joy will become magnified even more.  How great is that?

Okay, so it’s your turn… what’s your word for 2016?

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Comments

  1. Been praying what my word will be for 2016. Last year was No Fear. Reading your post resonated with me. The challenges of this past year, the waiting, resting and the unknowns lead me as well to the word Trust. I love your insight that it is an action word. That is what I want for 2016, trusting everything to him and being a person of action as He leads. Happy New Year.

  2. i love this and totally agree! a friend and i were just discussing this word the other day.

  3. for me are two words: surprises and answered prayer

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