Do you pray for, or focus on a word for the year?

For a few years now, I’ve prayed about a word for the year, usually beginning in December. I ask the Lord what it is He wants to show me or teach me in the new year? Who does He want to reveal Himself to be to me as we walk through the year together? Time and again, God has placed a word on my heart, and showed up through that word and taught me a new aspect of His character.

In 2022, it was surrender. Ew. I decided to wait on a confirmation, because don’t we always do that when we want to avoid? You can’t hear or see me right now, but I’m hysterically laughing and sweating.

“Lord, I’m not sure that’s you, I need a confirmation.”

We know. I knew. And it wasn’t the fun word I wanted. I wanted something more like:

peace

Joy

Hope

Happiness

Expectation

BLESSINGS

Favor

Once it was settled, because He definitely will confirm it, I knew going in that the year could be chalked full of painful learning moments.

That’s how kind God really is, though. He prepares us. He makes us ready for the pruning.

As the year began to wrap up, I was pretty confident that I had surrender down. Yikes, right? All year I tried to make it as pain free for myself as possible.

“Here are my adult children, I know you love them more than I ever could. You’ll see them home. I’m going to bed.”

“Here are my finances, my control freak tendencies…” you get the point.

As the year started to wrap up I was pretty confident that I had it in the bag. I did good with all of my surrendering! A+.

Or so I thought.

I was golden, until I was told the company I worked for, and planned to stay with, was sold. The new owners weren’t keeping any of us employed with them, and just like that the door slammed shut!

Talk about learning to surrender! Every plan I had made, I had to let go of. The saddest, and I’m embarrassed to admit the one that caused a real meltdown, was my dream trip to Ireland; a two week sight seeing extravaganza that I had booked exactly one day before the bomb was dropped on me.

I had to let go of a few more plans, and commitments. The disappointment was so real. Not just my disappointment, but the disappointment of those I had to cancel on.

Oh, the plans I had made.

As I wrapped up the surrender year, I was in bed in a funk, crying a lot, feeling really lost; and I really didn’t want to ask God for another word.

But when I did, I got “rest” for 2023.

Of course, like any seasoned adult, I thought I had it all figured out. “Ok, God. I’ll be a lady of leisure, if that’s what you want! Naps! Reading books! Taking walks! I’m OK with that.”

And He gave me a good solid month of rest like I haven’t had in years. I took naps. I read books. I took walks. It was truly restorative, because He is definitely a good Father.

Then the work began. He started showing me that the rest He had prescribed, wasn’t so much a state of inactivity, but more so, a state of resting in trust.

I started to learn to trust more deeply the God who would provide for me.

My “rest” year really revealed an area of pride in myself , and my ability to strive and earn. It definitely illuminated a gross kind of self sufficiency that I wasn’t aware of.

I started to be stretched to trust in new ways. I had always been very self sufficient, and it was new and disconcerting to know that I didn’t have my own stream of income anymore. It stretched me for sure, as I realized I had prided myself on what I could produce and now I was… not producing.

It revealed some unresolved trauma, and fear of not having enough resources to meet my basic needs.

As I gave God my best laid plans, and my trust, something beautiful began to happen; I became a more grateful person, and more appreciative of the kindness He extended to me throughout the year.

I learned about Him as a Good Shepherd, the One who knows His sheep personally, and tends to their needs.

I began to fully immerse myself in the ways He showed up in all of my feelings of disappointment and disillusionment, and the ways He refashioned all of my best laid plans, and revived long buried hopes and dreams.

Now I see His hand redeeming things I never thought could be redeemed in and through me.

I finished out the year rejoicing in the excitement, anticipation and hope of my steps being re-ordered by HIM. Made alive again by a breath of life breathed into smoldering ash.

I am finally resting in the trust that because my Father knows everything about my future, I don’t have to. I don’t need all of the pieces of the puzzle, because surely goodness and mercy will follow me, all of the days of my life!

As I lean into 2024, and a new word of the year, I want to remind anyone reading this to rest in trust that the Good Shepherd of your life is the best shepherd and He is trustworthy.

It’s ok to Surrender.

”The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, to guide and to shield me], I shall not want. He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still and quiet waters. He refreshes and restores my soul (life); He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the [sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort and console me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You have anointed and refreshed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, And I shall dwell forever [throughout all my days] in the house and in the presence of the Lord.“
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭23‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭AMP‬‬